Key Trump pick calls for end to escalation in Ukraine

This combination of pictures created on November 23, 2024 shows US President-elect Donald Trump is handing top roles in his future administration to a mix of loyalists, provocateurs and a few relatively conventional figures.

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on November 23, 2024 shows (From top 1st row from L) Pete Hegseth, Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum, Janette Nesheiwat, Elon Musk, South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem, (2nd row from L) US Representavie John Ratcliffe, Karoline Leavitt, Russell Vought, former administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon, US entrepreneur and former Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, (3rd row from L) Thomas Homan, Scott Turner, Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), political advisor Stephen Miller, (4th row from L) US Representative Doug Collins (R-GA), Susie Wiles, Congressman Lee Zeldin, US Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, Mehmet Oz, (5th row from L) House Republican Conference Chair Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Sean Duffy, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, US Representative Michael Waltz, Republican of Florida, Scott Bessent, (6th row from L) Matthew Whitaker, former acting US Attorney General, former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Howard Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and Co-Chair of the Trump 2024 Transition Team, Brooke Rollins, and former Federal Communication Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr. – (Photo by various sources / AFP)

Washington, United States–US President-elect Donald Trump’s top security advisor called on Sunday for an end to the escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia, and for both parties to come to the negotiating table.

“We need to bring this to a responsible end. We need to restore deterrence, restore peace, and get ahead of this escalation ladder, rather than responding to it,” said Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for the influential role of US national security advisor (NSA).

In recent days, Washington has authorized Kyiv to use US-supplied missiles to strike targets in Russian territory and agreed to supply it with landmines, prompting Moscow to respond with the use of an experimental medium-range ballistic missile.

Waltz, a noted foreign policy hawk and former US special forces officer, has been critical of Russia but has, like Trump, opposed increasing aid to Ukraine.

“President Trump has been very clear about the need to end this conflict,” he told US media outlet Fox News on Sunday.

“We need to be discussing is who’s at that table, whether it’s an agreement, an armistice, how to get both sides to the table and then what’s the framework of a deal?”

Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, with the United States and others coming to Kyiv’s aid in its fight to hold its territory in the east of the country.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has in the past ruled out ceding any territory to Russia, and told Fox News on Tuesday that Ukraine would lose the war if Washington pulls funding.

President Joe Biden’s administration has promised a smooth transition to Trump, who has pledged major shake-ups on both foreign and domestic policy.

On Sunday, Waltz said he had met Biden’s NSA Jake Sullivan and warned adversaries abroad against thinking they could gain an advantage in the months before Trump takes office in January.

“For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity that they can play one administration off the other. They’re wrong… we are hand in glove.”

Waltz also lauded “the strength and the grit” of Israel in its offensive against Hamas, which has killed at least 44,211 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to local authorities.

The war was triggered by the assault on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, a cross-border raid that resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

“Now is a moment to craft some type of arrangement that doesn’t just put a pause for future October 7th’s (but) truly brings stability to the Middle East,” said Waltz.

Trump’s top team: firebrands and stalwarts

Trump is handing top roles in his future administration to a mix of loyalists, provocateurs and a few relatively conventional figures.

Most positions will require confirmation by the US Senate.

Health Secretary: RFK Jr.

Leading vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the scion of the famous Democratic political dynasty — and a conspiracy theorist.

The 70-year-old has promoted the disproven idea that childhood vaccines cause autism. He endorsed Trump after first seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

TV celebrity Mehmet Oz, a former surgeon, has been picked to lead the country’s massive public health insurance programs.

Attorney General: Pam Bondi

The staunch Trump ally and former Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019 is the president-elect’s second pick to lead the Department of Justice.

Bondi, who defended Trump during his first impeachment trial, was nominated after ex-congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew amid renewed scrutiny of sexual misconduct allegations.

‘Government Efficiency’: Elon Musk

Tech tycoon Musk, the world’s richest person, was tapped to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, along with wealthy Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy. Both will supposedly remain private citizens.

Musk says he is targeting $2 trillion in cuts from the federal government’s $7 trillion budget, pledging to test legal boundaries to achieve it.

Secretary of State: Marco Rubio

Amid the intensifying US power struggle with China, Trump tapped Senator Rubio of Florida, a relatively traditional conservative hawk, as top diplomat.

Born to Cuban immigrants, Rubio is a fervent Israel supporter and longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Defense Secretary: Pete Hegseth

Fox News host and former soldier Hegseth was nominated to head the Pentagon, which employs some 2.9 million people, despite a slim CV.

He was investigated for an alleged 2017 sexual assault but no charges were filed.

Treasury Secretary: Scott Bessent

Hedge fund manager Bessent would oversee policymaking for the world’s biggest economy. He has called for an extension of tax cuts from Trump’s first term and review of the nation’s budget deficit.

Director of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

Former Hawaii congresswoman and onetime presidential candidate Gabbard, like Kennedy a former Democrat, has stood out for endorsing Kremlin justifications about its invasion of Ukraine, and controversially met in 2017 with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem

South Dakota’s governor became famous for admitting she shot an “untrainable” pet dog, saying it showed her ability to make tough choices.

Noem would play a key role in Trump’s promise to restrict immigration and deport undocumented migrants, along with hard-liners Tom Homan and Stephen Miller, who will be “border czar” and White House deputy chief of staff, respectively.

Education Secretary: Linda McMahon

The former executive of the staged and scripted WWE wrestling brand will head a department Trump has pledged to abolish, vowing to “send education back to the states.”

McMahon is a major Trump donor and led the Small Business Administration during his first term.

Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum

Burgum, North Dakota’s governor, would lead a sprawling department that oversees federal lands and natural resources, with additional clout as head of a new National Energy Council aimed at expanding oil and gas production.