Who will take positions in Trump's administration and what these people said about Ukraine

Donald Trump has announced key appointments in his administration, including those who will be directly involved in negotiations with Ukraine and Russia.

Brief verdict: it could have been worse.

Read more in the article by Oleh Pavliuk, a European Pravda journalist – From hawks to Kyiv critics: Who in Trump's team will handle Ukraine and the war.

One of the key figures in Trump’s administration for national security will be Mike Waltz.

The 50-year-old Afghanistan war veteran is a proponent of "hawkish" policies toward China and is considered its most outspoken critic in Congress.

Up until 2023, the Republican supported all pro-Ukrainian initiatives in Congress, but after Trump announced his re-election campaign, Waltz's rhetoric began to include calls for increased oversight of aid to Kyiv.

Waltz does not oppose aid to Ukraine per se. For him, this issue serves more as a pretext to criticise the Biden administration.

Trump intends to appoint Marco Rubio, a 53-year-old senator from Florida, as US Secretary of State.

Rubio's views, like Waltz’s, are generally "hawkish." The Ukrainian side currently refers to them as "peace through strength."

In March 2024, Rubio spoke about an alliance forming between China, Iran, North Korea and Russia against the United States: "They all share one goal, and that is, they want to weaken America, weaken our alliances, weaken our standing and our capability and our will."

The future Secretary of State's views on the war in Ukraine have also evolved.

At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Rubio was noticeably supportive of Kyiv.

However, starting in 2023, Rubio, while not disputing the need to support Ukraine, began increasingly criticising how the Biden administration sends money to Kyiv at the expense of US domestic needs.

Shortly before his nomination as Secretary of State, he called the war in Ukraine a "stalemate" and urged to "bring it to an end."

The nomination of Pete Hegseth as US Secretary of Defense is likely Trump's most unexpected decision.

The 44-year-old Harvard graduate, who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, currently works at Fox News.

It is expected that, like Rubio and Waltz, Hegseth will follow Trump's hawkish views on China and Iran.

In a podcast, he stated that he disagrees with the opinion that Putin would attack Poland if he wins in Ukraine. He also raised the threat of nuclear weapons use if the US intervenes further.

The nomination of the future Pentagon chief surprised and disappointed even Trump’s inner circle.

Among other appointments in Trump’s administration is Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, an agency coordinating the activities of all US intelligence services.

What is the politician known for? For instance, Gabbard spread the myth of American biolaboratories in Ukraine.

As US Attorney General, Trump wants to appoint Matt Gaetz, an equally controversial Trump loyalist and a member of the House of Representatives from Florida. He is controversial at least because his colleagues on the Ethics Committee investigated him for alleged drug use and inappropriate behaviour, including sexual relationships.

Gaetz has also made anti-Ukrainian statements.

Finally, it should be noted that not all nominees are likely to pass the Senate.