Media: US Army Secretary Driscoll removed from Ukraine peace talks
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll from peace talks on Ukraine.
As reported by The Telegraph, Hegseth is reported to have decided to sideline Driscoll from the talks after concluding that he had exceeded his remit.
"He [Driscoll – ed.] was seen to be exerting himself a bit too much, and he had his hand slapped," a person close to the events said.
It is reported that while the Pentagon under Hegseth has descended into an atmosphere of paranoia, chaos and internal contradictions, Driscoll had until now largely managed to stay above the fray.
His standing within Donald Trump's administration has risen quickly and he has become increasingly popular with Europeans thanks to his experience and calm manner.
This led to him taking a leading role in Ukraine peace talks. In November, he was tasked with presenting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a 28-point "peace plan" that Trump hoped would bring peace between Russia and Ukraine.
That made him the most senior member of the Trump administration to visit Ukraine.
During this trip last month, Driscoll was instructed to secure Zelenskyy's support of the US "peace plan".
European ambassadors involved in the talks described Driscoll as an official who showed little interest in finding compromises that might help the Ukrainian side.
It has been suggested that Driscoll's negotiating style may have caught the attention of the president himself, as Trump prides himself on his own reputation as a tough dealmaker.
Driscoll had been due to return to Kyiv two weeks ago to continue the talks but did not show up.
Ukrainian officials were also told he would be in Paris on Monday 1 December, but he again cancelled on short notice.
"Our delegation was surprised," a Ukrainian official said, suggesting that Driscoll "had not been allowed to come".
Ukrainian and European officials believe Driscoll's absence is part of a wider struggle for control over the peace process.
As a close friend of US Vice President JD Vance, Driscoll had been seen as part of the group around him inside the administration that pushes a non-interventionist line.
A second camp, led by US Secretary of State and acting National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, has taken on a more prominent role in the talks. This group is to take part in a meeting in Paris between US, European and Ukrainian officials on Saturday 12 December.
A third group, with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, is now also playing a more visible role in the negotiations.
One source familiar with the talks said that it was "funny" how the tone of the negotiations often changes depending on which of the three groups has the upper hand at any given moment.
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25 of December 2025
