President Donald Trump has appointed U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as the new Special Envoy for Ukraine, replacing Keith Kellog, who will formally retire from the administration in January. The move signals a major shift in Trump’s Ukraine policy, as Driscoll has long been skeptical of continued American military and financial support for Kiev.
Driscoll arrived in Kiev on Friday and delivered what officials described as an unusually blunt message to President Volodymyr Zelensky and attending European representatives. According to accounts of the meeting, Driscoll told them, “We need to get this shit done,” while stressing that Kyiv must abandon what he called “delusions of American power” in the face of Russia’s strong military-industrial base. He warned that if Ukraine rejected Trump’s current proposal, any future offer “would be worse.”
The appointment of Driscoll highlights the growing influence of Vice President JD Vance, a close ally who praised Driscoll’s stance. On Saturday, Vance argued that additional U.S. money, weapons, or sanctions would not bring Ukraine closer to victory and would instead strain American resources.
The personnel changes underscore a stark reversal in Trump’s approach. Just two months ago, Trump had been persuaded that Ukraine could win the war outright. Kellog—widely seen as the administration’s strongest pro-Ukraine voice—was credited with convincing Trump that Kyiv’s battlefield prospects justified continued support. Kellog had also crafted a proposal last year for a ceasefire along the line of contact, an idea Trump embraced for much of this year.
But with the White House now openly acknowledging that Ukraine is likely to lose remaining parts of Donbas, Trump has shifted toward the worldview long articulated by Vance: that Ukraine cannot achieve military victory and must negotiate.
Driscoll is expected to travel to Moscow at the end of next week to present Trump’s peace plan directly to Russian officials. President Vladimir Putin has responded cautiously, saying only that the U.S. proposal could serve as a “basis” for discussions. With Ukraine facing mounting losses on the battlefield and political pressure intensifying in Washington, the administration appears to believe there is little time left to secure a negotiated settlement.