Trump's 10: Who will join new US President's team and what they say about Ukraine

Behind the closed doors of his Mar-a-Lago residence, Donald Trump, immediately after his electoral victory, began forming his future team. A significant portion of those who will hold key positions, particularly in foreign policy and defense, which are especially important for Ukraine, has already been revealed. Some appointments will still require Congressional approval, but for others, a presidential decree will be enough. Overall, it is clear that for his second presidential term, Trump has chosen to form a team primarily made up of individuals personally loyal to him, so some of the nominations were frankly unexpected.

Marco Rubio - US Secretary of State

A senator from Florida, a 53-year-old lawyer by education, Marco Rubio has worked in government at various levels for over 25 years, with the last 13 years spent in the Senate. He is the Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Rubio holds predominantly "hawkish" views on national security and foreign policy. As a candidate in the 2016 primaries, Rubio sharply criticized Trump, calling him a "con artist." However, over time, he became one of Trump's most ardent supporters in the US Congress.

Rubio is a longtime supporter of a tough policy toward Russia. He pushed for a law preventing the US President from withdrawing the country from NATO without Congressional approval. In February of this year, Rubio stated that he supported helping Ukraine, but first, lawmakers must help America. In March, he suggested the possibility of a Korean scenario for Ukraine. He also voted against a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine. After Trump's victory, on November 6, Rubio stated in an interview with NBC that Russia's war against Ukraine had reached a stalemate.

"I think the Ukrainians have been incredibly brave and strong in standing up to Russia. But at the end of the day what we are funding here is a stalemate war, and it needs to be brought to a conclusion," Rubio said.

Michael Waltz - National Security Advisor to the President

A congressman from Florida and a veteran of special operations forces, who served in Afghanistan, Waltz worked at the Pentagon as the defense policy director during George Bush's presidency.

After Russia's full-scale invasion, Waltz voted for bills providing assistance to Ukraine. He also visited Kyiv as part of congressional delegations. However, in April of this year, he opposed an additional $60 billion aid package, arguing that the burden of support should be shifted to Europe. Waltz has expressed opposition to Ukraine's NATO membership. At the same time, he supports increasing sanctions on Russia and allowing strikes deep into its territory.

Elise Stefanik – US Permanent Representative to the UN

With no diplomatic experience, Stefanik has represented her district in New York in the House of Representatives since 2015 and serves as the Chair of the House Republican Conference (the equivalent of a faction). Stefanik caught Trump's attention with her aggressive defense of him during the House's first impeachment trial.

At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Stefanik called Putin a "war criminal" and "deranged thug." She also urged support for the democracy under attack. In November 2023, she criticized Biden's policy for lacking accountability in spending funds for Ukraine and for the absence of a clear end goal in US policy.

At the same time, she was the only Republican leader to oppose the $60 billion aid package for Ukraine. Stefanik did not explain why she voted against it.

Elon Musk – Department of Government Efficiency

Owner of companies Tesla, SpaceX, and X.com, Musk has been a longtime advisor to Trump. He will co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The department's mission will be to optimize the functioning of the government and, seemingly, purge individuals who may sabotage Trump’s policies.

Musk's position on Ukraine is ambiguous. On one hand, in early 2022, Musk provided Ukraine with Starlink systems. On the other hand, he regularly makes statements calling for an end to the war, not necessarily with Ukraine’s territorial integrity intact.

For example, on November 8, Musk posted on social media platform X: "The senseless killing will end soon. Time is up for the warmonger profiteers." This comment followed news that Trump plans to establish a demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine. According to this plan, Russia could keep the territories it has occupied, and Ukraine would not join NATO for 20 years.

Vivek Ramaswamy – Department of Government Efficiency

An entrepreneur of Indian descent, Ramaswamy is the co-founder and CEO of the investment firm Strive Asset Management. He ran for US president but lost in the primaries to Trump.

Ramaswamy holds radical views on foreign policy. He is a proponent of the US withdrawing from the UN and NATO and has suggested ending the war at the expense of Ukraine’s interests.

"I will deliver peace in Ukraine under the only terms that should matter to us - terms that put American interests first...To that end, I will accept Russian control of the occupied territories and pledge to block Ukraine’s candidacy for NATO in exchange for Russia exiting its military alliance with China," he said in an interview with The American Conservative in August 2023.

Pete Hegseth – US Secretary of Defense

A 44-year-old Fox News host, Hegseth served in the National Guard at the US base in Guantanamo, as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was a counterterrorism instructor. He holds multiple military awards but lacks experience in defense management. He has worked at investment bank Bear Stearns, think tanks, and veterans' organizations.

As a host, Hegseth sharply criticized US military leadership for implementing a liberal agenda within the armed forces. He has spoken little on Ukraine but, in early 2022, called Putin a war criminal who wanted to restore the USSR and advocated for accelerating support for Ukraine.

John Ratcliffe – CIA Director

From 2020 to 2021, Ratcliffe served as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), a coordinating agency responsible for gathering and consolidating intelligence from various agencies for the president.

During Trump's first term, Ratcliffe was a congressman from Texas. He helped the president overcome the consequences of the 2016 Russian election interference scandal and during the impeachment proceedings against Trump.

Ratcliffe made several pro-Ukraine statements in early 2022, but his current position is not definitively known.

Kristi Noem – Department of Homeland Security

Noem is the Governor of South Dakota and has previously served in Congress. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees a range of agencies, including the US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the US Secret Service. In this role, she will focus on addressing issues related to illegal immigration.

In 2023, Noem stated that the US assistance to Ukraine was a strategic mistake. She argued that Washington’s actions were pushing Russia closer to China, potentially allowing the Kremlin to access China’s vast weapons arsenal.

Additionally, Noem claimed that over the past five years, the US had spent more on aid to Ukraine than on securing the US-Mexico border.

Lee Zeldin – Head of the Environmental Protection Agency

A veteran of the Iraq War, Zeldin is a Congressman from New York. His plans include restoring US energy dominance and revitalizing the automotive industry to bring jobs back to America. This could potentially lower global energy prices, which would negatively affect Russia. He aims to achieve these goals by rolling back several rules set by the EPA regarding fossil fuel burning, including carbon emissions restrictions on power plants and vehicle emissions cuts.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Zeldin was among 963 Americans banned from entering Russia by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Susan Wiles – White House Chief of Staff

The Chief of Staff is a key position, responsible for managing White House personnel, controlling access to the US President by unauthorized persons, and negotiating on his behalf with Congress and representatives of the executive branch.

Wiles was an advisor to Trump during his first term and effectively led his 2024 campaign. She will be the first woman to hold the position of White House Chief of Staff. She rarely publicly expresses her stance on foreign policy issues.

Previously, RBC-Ukraine reported on the changes the world and Ukraine experienced in the first week following Trump's victory in the presidential elections.

Sources: statements by US politicians and the materials by The Hill, CNN, Politico, Reuters, Axios, The Washington Post, and The Guardian.