As the Trump administration strives to bring Ukraine and Russia closer to peace negotiations, U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President J.D. Vance, is emerging as a pivotal figure in these discussions.

In an unusual development, Driscoll is scheduled to lead talks on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi with a Russian delegation to discuss Trump’s updated peace strategy. This moment signifies the latest indication of Driscoll’s growing influence within Trump’s inner circle. Just days prior, Driscoll and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Geneva. A joint statement issued by the U.S. and Ukraine on Sunday characterized that summit as having achieved “significant progress toward aligning positions and identifying clear next steps.”

These meetings follow the leak of Trump’s proposed peace deal for Ukraine last week, which led many to question whether it was actually drafted by Russian officials. Rubio denied this, asserting its complete U.S. authorship. Since then, the U.S. has agreed to modify the peace deal amidst objections from Zelensky and European leaders.

The 39-year-old Driscoll has become an unexpected envoy for Trump’s peace initiative; previously, he was not recognized for his negotiation skills, but he is now proving to be a key player. Driscoll’s trip to Kyiv last week positioned him as one of the highest-ranking Pentagon officials to visit the conflict zone since Trump assumed office in January.

Before becoming Army Secretary, Driscoll served three and a half years as an armor officer in Iraq, departing as a first lieutenant. Afterward, Driscoll attended Yale Law School, interned briefly at the Senate Committee for Veterans Affairs, before joining Charlotte investment banking firm BlackArch Partners. From that point, Driscoll’s career largely involved working in venture capital and private equity firms until an unsuccessful bid for a congressional seat in North Carolina, his home state.

The position of Army Secretary is often regarded as administrative, overseeing the budget and management for over a million Army, National Guard, and Reserve soldiers.

Yet, Driscoll has garnered favor with Trump by proving to be a steadfast supporter of the President’s deployment of the National Guard to U.S. cities, including Washington D.C., Chicago, and Memphis. Amid criticism of Trump’s intervention in Washington D.C. and the use of military force on civilians to “restore public safety and order,” Driscoll stood by the President, telling the New York Times in August that soldiers were “thrilled to be on this mission.”

Driscoll has also advocated for modernizing the Army and better utilizing drones, calling for the U.S. to procure one million drones over the next two to three years. He has lauded these machines as inexpensive, yet advanced, warfighting tools that will “absolutely dominate warfare in the twenty-first century.”

“Anyone paying attention to Ukraine knows that warfare has transformed,” Driscoll told the Wall Street Journal this month. “Every single city is vulnerable, every single country is vulnerable, and one of the most effective ways to neutralize a drone threat is with another drone.”

Driscoll’s ascent occurs as Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, is expected to depart his role in January, according to reports by Axios. Kellogg was perceived by Europe and Ukraine as a highly sympathetic ear in the White House, although months after his appointment, Kellogg appears to have been largely sidelined from peace talks.

Driscoll’s growing prominence in Trump’s orbit is attributed to his close friendship with Vance, a fellow veteran who attended Yale Law School with Driscoll and is a strong advocate for Trump’s efforts in Ukraine. This past week, Vance publicly criticized those who believe Trump is appeasing Russian President Vladimir Putin with the new peace deal, including Sen. Mitch McConnell.

“This is an absurd attack on the president’s team, which has worked tirelessly to clean up the mess in Ukraine that Mitch—always eager to write blank checks to Biden’s foreign policy—left us,” Vance wrote in a post on X responding to McConnell.

In a separate post defending the peace plan over the weekend, Vance asserted, “Every criticism of the peace framework the administration is working on either misunderstands the framework or misstates some critical reality on the ground.”