Trump taps Florida's Waltz as National Security Advisor
President-elect Donald Trump from the USA has chosen Congressman Mike Waltz from Florida as his national security advisor, as "The Wall Street Journal" reported on Monday. Waltz, a former special forces member, is known for his hard stance toward China.
Information about Waltz's nomination, citing confidential sources, was also provided by CNN and Reuters.
The 50-year-old Waltz is a retired colonel from the Green Berets—a special forces unit of the U.S. Army—who has been serving as a congressman from Florida since 2018. During the election campaign, he was one of Trump's main defenders on national security issues, especially in television media. He took on one of the key roles in the administration, becoming the chief advisor, alongside the Secretary of State, responsible for foreign policy.
Waltz admires Trump
Waltz was perceived as a "hawk" in policy toward Russia, China, and Iran. However, over the past year, he voted against a package of aid measures for Ukraine (despite supporting earlier packages). In a recent interview on NPR radio, the politician claimed that Trump's expressed desire for a quick end to the war in Ukraine is rational and argued that Trump would force Putin to negotiate by imposing sanctions on Russian oil and lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons.
The politician described Russia as essentially an energy supplier equipped with nuclear weapons, noting that Putin is now exporting more oil and gas than he did prior to the conflict. He suggested that by ramping up domestic energy production and lifting the ban on LNG exports, Russia’s economy and its war efforts could be rapidly weakened. Additionally, he announced plans to impose sanctions on Chinese companies purchasing Russian oil, making this statement shortly before the elections.
The congressman admires Trump's approach to NATO and the requirement for Europe to increase its defence spending.
Waltz emphasized that the United States needs to convey that it is time for allied nations to contribute more to their own security. He pointed out that trust and mutual support are the foundations of military alliances. Highlighting the insufficient investment from allies is not confrontational; rather, it supports the interests of American taxpayers, who have borne the financial burden for an extended period. Waltz expressed these thoughts ahead of the NATO summit in Washington.
Waltz is the second Republican congressman appointed to a role in the Trump administration, which may temporarily weaken the expected Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
