Earlier this month, Driscoll arrived at the White House to prepare for a trip to Kyiv focused on drone technology discussions. However, upon landing in Ukraine, he received an unexpected directive from President Trump: persuade Kyiv to return to the negotiating table with Moscow — and do so quickly.
While diplomacy is not Driscoll’s background, he still carries significant credibility. For more than a decade, the U.S. Army has trained and equipped Ukrainian forces, fostering deep trust between Kyiv and American Army officials. This long-standing relationship gives Driscoll strong prospects of success despite his lack of formal diplomatic experience.
President Trump also holds Driscoll in high regard, often referring to him as “the drone guy,” a nod to his work developing next-generation drone systems for the Army. According to sources, Trump regularly seeks Driscoll’s opinion on “what to do with Ukraine” whenever he visits the White House.
After a week of fast-paced diplomacy across three countries, Driscoll now appears ready to return to Washington with partial but meaningful progress: Kyiv has agreed to the key terms of a proposed peace deal he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed with Ukrainian officials in Geneva last weekend.
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Driscoll’s involvement in the peace initiative highlights President Trump’s unconventional approach to international crises, in which he often assigns high-stakes diplomatic roles to individuals from his personal or business circles rather than to traditional career diplomats. Jared Kushner has long been central to Trump’s Middle East diplomacy, while longtime business associate Steve Witkoff was appointed special envoy for the Ukraine and Gaza conflict files.
Throughout his mission, Driscoll remained in constant contact with the White House, receiving directives from the president via Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Witkoff. “Everything happened so fast, and the only way to make that work is absolute trust,” one source said, referring to the relationship among Driscoll, Vance, and Witkoff.
During meetings with Russian officials on November 24–25 in Abu Dhabi, Driscoll presented the revised U.S. peace plan, which had been significantly altered from the original 28-point proposal. Moscow has not yet accepted the plan, but Driscoll’s prominent role underscores his rising influence within the Trump administration.
“He has truly become a rising star,” said Leslie Shedd, former senior adviser to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. “The president is putting his strongest players on the field to see who can deliver the best results. You don’t keep sending someone on repeated trips if you think the negotiations are at a dead end.”
Observers have noted, however, that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not among these “rising stars.” Driscoll’s unusual role has fueled speculation that he may eventually be considered for the top Pentagon position. According to one source, relations between Hegseth and Ukraine have soured after he repeatedly paused U.S. weapons shipments without notifying Kyiv or the White House. He also dismissed the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO during one of his first foreign meetings in Brussels earlier this year.
Still, experts caution that Driscoll’s limited diplomatic experience could become a challenge, particularly when navigating Russia’s sophisticated negotiation tactics.
“Having Secretary Driscoll at the table is important, given the trust he shares with President Trump,” said Daniel Fried, former U.S. ambassador to Poland. “But he needs someone alongside him who understands the technical details, because the Russians are likely to use deceptive tactics that a less experienced negotiator might miss.”
“You need someone who can spot those irregularities,” Fried added.