War in Ukraine: the Trump team already wants to start working on a “settlement”.

Donald Trump's team will begin working with outgoing President Joe Biden's administration to reach an “accommodation” between Ukraine and Russia, expressing concern about the current “escalation”, Mike Waltz, the White House's incoming security advisor, said on Sunday.

 

Since the billionaire's election on November 5, Europeans have feared US disengagement from the conflict, or even American pressure for an agreement to Kiev's detriment. The president-elect, who is due to take office on January 20, has formed the bulk of his next government, still subject to Senate approval.

 
“President Trump has been very clear about the need to end this conflict. What we need to discuss is who's going to be around the table, whether it's an agreement, an armistice, how do we get both sides around the table and what will be the framework for an arrangement?” said Mike Waltz, appointed to the ultra-strategic post of White House National Security Advisor, on Fox News.
 

“That's what we'll be working on with this administration until January, and we'll continue after that,” he assured the conservatives' favorite channel.
 

“For our opponents who think this is an opportunity to play one administration off against the other, they are mistaken”, he asserted, while insisting on the Trump team's ‘concern’ about the current ‘escalation’ of the conflict. The president-elect's inner circle has strongly denounced Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with American-made long-range missiles.
 

Moscow, for its part, accused the Biden administration on Sunday of undermining Donald Trump's plans to resolve the Ukrainian conflict with this authorization.

 
During his campaign, Donald Trump was highly skeptical of the billions the Biden administration has given to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in 2022. The Republican has repeatedly promised a swift end to the war, without specifying how.
 

On the Middle East, his future national security advisor also called for an “arrangement” that “truly brings stability”.

 
With Marco Rubio at the head of diplomacy, Mike Waltz will form a duo described as hawks by observers. Donald Trump introduced Mike Waltz, elected representative of Florida and former Special Forces soldier, as an “expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and global terrorism”.