Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrives in Kyiv for Russian-Ukrainian peace talks

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday as the United States prepares to restart talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Driscoll, accompanied by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, visited the war-torn country before Secretary of War. Pete Hegsethwho has yet to travel to Ukraine or meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Such a trip would, however, require Hegseth’s approval.

General Chris Donahue, the General commanding the army for Europe and Africa; Lt. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, commanding general, Security Assistance Group – Ukraine; Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer; and Colonel Dave Butler.

The group will meet with Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s military and defense industry leaders and lawmakers.

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“Secretary Driscoll and his team arrived in Kyiv this morning on behalf of the Administration for a fact-finding mission to meet with Ukrainian officials and discuss efforts to end the war,” Butler said Wednesday in a statement confirming the trip.

The White House has quietly developed a new, rapidly evolving peace plan. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev held three-day talks in Miami in late October, Axios reports. reported Tuesday.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrived in Kyiv on November 19, 2025, as the United States prepares to restart talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. (Cheriss May/Getty Images)

The administration has designated Driscoll as a special representative to help restart the peace process, although he will not forward the reported proposal to Ukraine, a defense official told Fox News Digital.

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His team is working to secure a future meeting with the Russian side, but such engagement is not expected to take place during this trip, the official added.

Driscoll and his team are also meeting with Ukrainian defense industry leaders to discuss a possible deal involving an exchange of drone technology. The military has prioritized lessons learned from Ukraine’s success in developing and producing armed drones that have proven essential for striking deep behind enemy lines.

“We want the Ukrainians to build relationships with the American industrial base because we want to learn lessons learned” from the war, the official said.

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Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian military and defense industry leaders and lawmakers. (Pavlo Bahmut/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The military aims to produce 1 million drones over the next two to three years, a daunting challenge for the U.S. industrial base.

Ukraine has the capacity to produce 8 million drones per year, Zelensky said in July.

Meanwhile, Zelensky is in Türkiye trying to restart direct talks with Russia.

The conflict that he thought could end in 24 hours is increasingly exasperating the president Donald Trumpwho alternated between sympathy for the Russian position and support for Ukraine.

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and his team are also meeting with Ukrainian defense industry leaders to discuss a possible deal involving drone technology. (Mykhaylo Palinchak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

However, his administration just approved an additional $105 million sale of Patriot missile launchers and related parts to Ukraine, and Ukraine said it was using long-range tactical missile systems made by the U.S. military to strike deep inside Russia, which would mean a reversal of U.S. policy that limited the use of its resources to strike on Russian territory.

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Ukraine observers remain skeptical that Zelensky will be more flexible on a deal than in the past.

Facing growing political pressure at home following an energy sector corruption scandal that has ensnared members of his inner circle, Zelensky’s government may soon face a challenge from the nationalist right – political factions even less likely to accept compromise.

“It’s a death blow politically if he accepts a bad deal,” said one foreign policy analyst. “His party is in revolt (not yet fully public), and a national unity government with more nationalist opposition elements is much less likely to accept that.”