Hegseth cuts out Driscoll of Ukraine's negotiations – media

20:32, 12.12.2025 1 min read

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has removed Secretary of Army Daniel Driscoll from peace talks to end the war in Ukraine after he "exceeded his authority," the British newspaper The Telegraph said, citing informed sources.

"Dan Driscoll, seen as the rising star of the Pentagon, was 'reeled in' by the increasingly paranoid defense secretary. Mr. Driscoll, a former soldier, was cut out of negotiations by Mr Hegseth after he was seen to overstep his brief, it is understood," the newspaper said.

On Thursday, diplomatic sources believed the defense secretary would take Driscoll's place in the negotiations, but that is no longer the case.

"He was seen to be exerting himself a bit too much, and he had his hand slapped," a person close to the fallout said.

In November, Driscoll was tasked with presenting Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a 28-point plan that Donald Trump hopes will lead to peace between Russia and Ukraine. The move made him the most senior member of the Trump administration to visit Ukraine, a sign of his growing status.