Donald Trump's handpicked national security adviser Mike Waltz said the escalation between Russia and Ukraine must come to a "responsible end".
Walz, like Trump, expressed skepticism about continued U.S. military assistance to Ukraine in the face of a full-scale war by Russia. As national security adviser, he will play a key role in Trump's stated plan to end the war through peace talks.
"The president-elect is very concerned about escalation and where this is all going," Waltz stated in an interview with Fox News.
"We need to restore deterrence, restore peace and get ahead of this ladder of escalation," he added.
Waltz's comments come at a time when outgoing President Joe Biden is looking for ways to bolster Ukraine ahead of Trump's inauguration. In recent days, the Biden administration has made a number of decisions aimed at giving Kiev leverage in future negotiations.
These steps include approving the delivery of anti-personnel mines and giving Ukraine permission to fire US-made ATACMS long-range missiles at targets on Russian territory.
Waltz criticized Biden's decision to send antipersonnel mines, comparing it to "trench warfare from World War I."
Despite this criticism, Waltz said he and his transition team are cooperating with the current administration. Waltz has met with current National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. | BGNES
