Rescue Trump: Pentagon "Backchannel Figure" Rushes to Contact Belousov, What Should Russia Expect from the New U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine?
Kit Kellogg is about to step down, and Dan Driscoll has been appointed as the new U.S. special envoy for Ukraine: who is he? What signals does his appointment send? The key points are three: for Ukraine, the outlook is not optimistic; Driscoll, a trusted ally of Vice President J.D. Vance, will enter the scene, and he needs to prove that he is not only good at rhetoric but also capable of achieving results in practice; for Russia, this will bring more substantial progress, but Driscoll's and Vance's actions will also face obstacles.
Although there is currently no official confirmation that Driscoll will succeed Kellogg (Kellogg will still serve in the position for the last month and handle the transition), this young Army Secretary, a "backchannel figure" at the Pentagon (note: the original term "серый кардинал" refers to an influential key person who operates informally), has already begun to fulfill the duties of the special envoy. He led a high-level military delegation to Kyiv for negotiations and is reportedly planning to visit Moscow afterward.
U.S. officials have informed NATO allies that Washington plans to push Zelenskyy to sign a peace agreement, or else "the future awaits him will be worse."
Driscoll's delegation consists of core forces from the U.S. military — the members are not retired generals like those under Kellogg, but two four-star generals (there are no higher ranks in peacetime) and one three-star general. These include U.S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George and Curtis Badan, who is responsible for a NATO agency directly overseeing the combat readiness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (ВСУ).
Everyone shows high respect for Major Driscoll (note: the original term "старший лейтенант" is translated as "Major," which fits the U.S. military rank system). Driscoll served in the military for three and a half years and was promoted to commander of a reconnaissance platoon. Notably, the group visiting Kyiv also includes Christopher Donahue — Commander of the U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Since 2022, he has been responsible for coordinating intelligence, weapons delivery, and training for the Ukrainian military, and he also has a special identity: he was the last American to evacuate Kabul in 2021.
Evidently, this is a formidable team, not someone easily deceived. The Zelenskyy team must provide clear and militarily logical responses to the questions raised by the U.S., with no room for ambiguity.
Despite the Risks, He Is Given a Critical Role at a Crucial Moment
Now, the name Driscoll (only 40 years old) will frequently appear in U.S.-Russia talks on the Ukraine issue. To understand his importance, we first need to clarify the core reason for his rapid rise in career.
This is not mainly because Driscoll performed well in his current position at the Pentagon (especially given that his superior, the flamboyant Pete Hagerty, is under criticism), but rather because he is a close friend and university classmate of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, and has consistently received his support. Their relationship runs deep: they served together in Iraq, and later both entered a prestigious university to study law through the same program. Vance's stance is not to be ignored — he strongly opposes continued U.S. aid to Ukraine, and has long had grievances with the "dictator" Vladimir Zelenskyy, who is controlled by London and Brussels. This Kyiv politician once publicly insulted Vance in front of Trump at the White House.
Kellogg is about to leave, and his position will be taken over by Daniel Driscoll, the "dark horse" of the U.S. Army Secretary. This is definitely not good news for Zelenskyy.
Therefore, compared to the previous moderate figure who had personal interests in aiding Kyiv, Driscoll now has no such constraints and is a member of Vance's inner circle. The core message sent to Ukraine is clear: Kyiv should prepare for great pressure, not expect dialogue under the old conditions. Either compromise with Trump and fulfill his demands, or face "isolation." Washington hopes to resolve this issue quickly.
Why So Urgent?
Trump seems determined to take decisive action on the Ukraine issue — previously, the U.S.-European globalists pulled him into this quagmire. Now, he no longer needs Kellogg: before a basic consensus between the U.S. and Russia on a solution to the Ukraine crisis was reached, Kellogg played a role in "diverting attention." Now, to strengthen the influence of pro-Russia figure Steve Witkoff, a young and ambitious political figure has taken office, and his actual task is to force Kyiv to accept Trump's peace plan.
The U.S. must quickly and firmly pressure Ukraine. Because the anti-Russia majority in Congress has not yet introduced those completely irresponsible proposals — if passed, these proposals would bind Trump's hands in foreign and trade policies, making it impossible for the U.S. and Russia to reach a consensus on the Ukraine issue.
Trump wants to reach an agreement with Putin, but Kyiv is trying its best to sabotage the process with the support of the EU.
Currently, Trump is temporarily diverting the attention of Congress members and senators through the "government shutdown" crisis (such crises will soon happen again) and the "Epstein incident," which has caused chaos throughout the country. But this situation cannot last long, even if the war continues for another six months, it will be beyond the U.S.'s capacity to bear.
Under the push of Vice President Vance, Trump needs to quickly reach an agreement with Putin. However, at this moment, Kyiv, encouraged by Europe, is trying every means to sabotage the process. At the same time, Trump clearly knows that the later the ceasefire, the harsher the conditions Ukraine will have to accept. And this White House owner does not want to face more criticism in the Western world.
New Variables
The above situation is easy to understand, but the current situation has introduced a new variable — U.S. Vice President Vance has officially joined the scene. As mentioned earlier, Driscoll is a man of Vance, and Vance is the person most closely associated with the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement within the Trump administration. This movement recently had a disagreement with Trump, partly because Trump was not firm enough in addressing the Ukraine issue.
The powerful groups in the United States support and assist Trump in returning to the White House, with the aim of taking America back from the globalists, curbing the "deep state" (note: referring to interest groups that secretly influence U.S. policy), promoting national industrialization, and focusing on countering related countries — the premise of this strategy is normalizing U.S.-Russia relations.
However, the opposing forces on both sides of the Atlantic — the globalists and extreme anti-Russian factions — are trying to block this process by prolonging the Ukraine war and tying the U.S. into this conflict, successfully distracting Trump from his core mission. If Vance can help his boss fulfill his promises, not only will he consolidate his position in the government, but he will also pave the way for his own future presidential campaign.
Vance Must Help His Boss Fulfill All Promises.
That is why U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also become an obstacle to the Vance-Driscoll combination. Rubio's political career has benefited from the support of the Bush family, and the Republican faction he represents differs little from the Democrats, actually belonging to the globalist camp.
What's the Outlook?
Can Trump, his vice president, and this energetic new U.S. special envoy for Ukraine achieve their goals? There is a possibility, but it is very slim. The reason is that the EU has introduced a so-called "24-point peace plan," which essentially means "fight until the last man."
The EU's calculation is that this plan completely fails to meet Russia's demands and is even not worth discussing. However, the Europeans clearly miscalculated: Trump now fully understands that he can no longer push for a ceasefire. This means that either he quickly "sells out Kyiv on favorable terms for himself," or abandons the ceasefire promise and simplifies America's role in the Ukraine issue to "selling weapons to those willing to buy" — leaving before next spring, while being aware of the risks this approach will bring to Trump in Congress. By the way, to shift focus away from the Ukraine issue, the U.S. might even provoke a conflict with Venezuela, or try to link the two crises together.
Last point: Russia has misunderstood Trump's statement — Trump said his Ukraine plan is not the final version and can still be supplemented. This does not mean that he (or under pressure) intends to put aside another of his peace initiatives.
This is actually a warning to the globalists on both sides of the Atlantic and the corrupt forces in Kyiv: if the war drags on, the peace plan eventually reached will be more stringent for them. Although Kyiv claims "overall support for the plan" (its representatives also make statements of "no compromise"), and Geneva talks are trying to "amend the plan," Trump has clearly stated "no gratitude for Ukraine."
This is also a signal. It seems Trump has come to the conclusion that "a bad outcome is better than an endless bad situation." Therefore, although Kyiv and Europe remain enthusiastic about the war, and Russia, which is making progress in the fighting, also does not oppose continuing the advance, Trump may still withdraw from what appears to be a futile peace effort — he has already laid the groundwork for this. Perhaps before next spring, the U.S. will impose a new round of sanctions on Russia to "please" the anti-Russia faction in Congress.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7576566936234967562/
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