US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Resigns Amid Tensions With Hegseth

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has officially resigned after months of alleged tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ending an 18-month tenure that included a high-profile role in the US efforts to advance peace negotiations over Russia’s war against Ukraine. Citing an anonymous US official on Monday, Aug. 31, CBS News reported that Driscoll submitted his resignation after speaking to US President Donald Trump about the current state of the Army. The White House separately confirmed his resignation.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CBS News. “The US Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief [Trump himself] and Secretary of War [Pete Hegseth],” she continued, citing Driscoll’s military readiness, as well as his involvement in Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Friction with Hegseth Driscoll’s departure followed months of friction with Hegseth over the Army’s leadership and current modernization efforts. The possibility of his exit was first reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), while CBS News separately reported on Aug. 22 that Driscoll was considering leaving by the end of the year. The tensions reportedly intensified after Hegseth ousted General Randy George, a close friend of Driscoll’s, from his role as Army chief of staff in April, asking him to take early retirement. Other Topics of Interest Koretskyi Hints at Austerity Measures to Relieve $27B Budget Shortfall The Ukrainian prime minister also called on lawmakers to help approve 44 decisions before Nov. 1 to help unlock international funding needed to cover the $27 billion defense budget gap. General Christopher Donahue, then commander of US Army Europe and Africa, also filed for retirement. Both George and Donahue supported the Unmanned Assault Battalion, a unit established in 2025 to study drone warfare, including lessons from Ukraine. The army later began planning to phase out the battalion amid friction between officers who backed it and acting Army Chief of Staff, General Christopher LaNeve, CBS News reported. Driscoll and George had also promoted the Army Transformation Initiative, which emphasized greater use of unmanned systems. A source familiar with the matter told CBS News that Driscoll raised concerns with the Trump administration over the transformation effort and the removal of senior officers involved in it. Role in Ukraine peace effort On Nov. 19, 2025, Driscoll traveled to Kyiv with two four-star generals, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside other Ukrainian officials and defense-industry representatives as part of efforts to revive stalled diplomacy between Kyiv and Moscow. The visit took place as Zelensky traveled to Turkey for discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The White House opted to involve Driscoll because it reportedly believed Moscow might be more open to military-brokered talks, particularly after previous diplomatic efforts produced little progress in the stalled negotiations. Driscoll held talks with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Nov. 24, 2025, as Washington revised its Ukraine peace proposal from 28 points to 19. According to several US media outlets, he was also expected to meet Ukrainian officials during the visit. Ukraine had repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire during three rounds of talks held in Istanbul in May, June, and July 2025. Russia, however, refused the ceasefire proposals, and instead issued demands that included the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions, an end to Western military assistance, and limits on Ukraine’s mobilization and martial law. Diplomatic efforts to end the war remain ongoing, although Moscow has yet to agree to a ceasefire or engage on terms acceptable to Kyiv. Russia rejects peace proposals Citing Kremlin-linked sources, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 26 that Russia was considering escalating attacks on Ukraine after concluding that peace negotiations have “reached a dead end.” According to the sources, all attempts at negotiations have effectively collapsed, leaving Ukraine and Russia with virtually no progress. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Aug. 29 that peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are currently on a “deep pause” as Russian forces press their offensive in eastern Ukraine. Moscow increasingly viewed Ukrainian strikes as attacks by NATO, because alliance members are supplying Kyiv with weapons and intelligence, Bloomberg reported.Around the same time, CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow, to allegedly deter Russia from escalation against NATO’s eastern flank. On Monday, Zelensky said Kyiv and Washington are discussing a possible visit by senior US envoys Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “This trip would be very useful for working out decisions toward peace,” Zelensky said. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.