Who is Trump’s ‘drone guy’ taking central role in Ukraine peace talks?

When talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war took an unexpected turn last week, with a peace plan leaked from the US, the Trump administration sent an unexpected person to attend foreign meetings.

The youngest Army secretary ever, 39-year-old Dan Driscoll is often referred to as President Donald Trump’s “drone guy” for his embrace of emerging battlefield technologies. Until recently, he was known for discussing budget, supply and personnel issues in the military’s largest branch.

Driscoll appears to have no long history of dealing with Russia and Ukraine or experience in international diplomacy, and has never held public office.

So, who is this increasingly prominent figure within the administration?

It is Driscoll’s relationship with the current Vice President, J.D. Vance, that brought him into Trump’s orbit.

Like his friend Vance, Driscoll attended a public university before joining the U.S. Army, and then earned a law degree from the prestigious Yale University. Both men also worked in finance after graduation.

During his military career, Driscoll became an officer in 2007, led a cavalry platoon and deployed to Iraq for several months in 2009.

He tells the story of meeting Vance through a student veterans group in law school, during which Vance reassured new students that they would feel as if they did not belong at first, but would excel in classes after a few months. Soon, Vance became Driscoll’s friend and mentor.

Driscoll was on vacation with his family in Switzerland in the summer of 2024 when Vance called him to tell him he was going to be Trump’s running mate and asked him to join the campaign.

The next day, Driscoll flew back to the US, bought a suit at an outlet mall, and took an Uber to the Republican National Convention, he told the alumni magazine of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill – the institution where he was an undergraduate.

Once Trump returned to office, Driscoll was swiftly approved as Army Secretary in a Senate confirmation vote. His sphere of influence expanded after Trump became a key figure in the deployment of the National Guard to American cities. Later, he also held the role of Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Driscoll has often talked about the war in Ukraine – pointing to Ukrainian drones as relatively inexpensive, mass-produced technology that is good for the fight.

But after being nominated for the post of Army Secretary, he initially did not appear to be involved in negotiations to end the war. Trump was instead relying on his special envoy Steve Witkoff to work on a ceasefire plan.

When details of the 28-point plan drawn up by the US and Russia leaked last week, Ukraine immediately expressed concern over some of its key points – and its European allies followed suit.

Driscoll then made an unannounced visit to Ukraine with other high-ranking Pentagon officials, the most senior military group to visit Kiev since Trump took office in January. According to a US military spokesperson, the purpose was to meet with Ukrainian officials and discuss efforts to end the war.

According to Politico, Driscoll met with Zelensky and then, he was welcomed to a reception at the US ambassador’s residence.

In the following days, Driscoll participated in more discussions with Ukrainian officials in Geneva along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and helped draft an “updated and refined peace framework.”

According to CBS News, the BBC’s US affiliate, he went to Abu Dhabi for talks with Russian officials.

In nominating Driscoll to be his Army Secretary, Trump wrote that she had “a powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent”.

Some in Washington are wondering whether those qualities, and his recent appearance on the world stage, mean Driscoll could one day replace Pete Hegseth if Hegseth ever steps down as defense secretary.

While he has never held public office, Driscoll worked in Congress as an intern for the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and in 2020 he made an unsuccessful bid for a House seat in North Carolina. A former professor has suggested that Driscoll’s goal is to “serve in the military, go to law school, and be in politics.”

There is also a possibility that Driscoll could officially step into the role of negotiating with Ukraine when Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg leaves the country in January.

Or he could remain at the head of millions of soldiers in the US Army. Driscoll has previously highlighted that his father and grandfather served in the military before him, and he often speaks about his vision of transforming the military.

A few days before leaving for Ukraine, Driscoll told The Conversation podcast how he envisioned a near future when “every infantryman… will carry a drone into battle” and soldiers will rely on artificial intelligence because human brains will not be able to “keep up” with the pace of action.

“Our window for change is just open,” he said in a speech in October. “And we will win with silicon and software, not with the blood and bodies of our soldiers.”