President-elect Donald Trump received the notion of brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine as he prepares to take office in January 2025.
Counsel Boris Epshteyn, a Russian-born lawyer who coordinated Trump’s criminal defence, suggested the president-elect appoint him as Trump’s special envoy on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, NYT reported. Although he offered himself as a mediator for the talks, he has no experience in politics. He claims to have relatives on both sides of the conflict.
The notion was floated as Trump was flying to Washington for his first face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden since emerging victorious in the election. Some sources say that everyone was surprised by the proposal, but Trump listened with obvious interest and did not reject the offer, although he did not commit to it. In addition, Trump has designated his adviser as an extraordinary power and has shown a willingness to listen to his advice.
So, for example, Trump’s trustworthiness can be explained by the fact that within two days of this week, Epshteyn had the Justice Department’s staff assembled in short order. On top of that, he completed work on Trump’s eventual nomination of William McGinley to serve as White House counsel. Epshteyn was also a key supporter of Trump’s decision to announce Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida as his choice for attorney general.
Epshteyn, on his part, said before the special counsel’s deliberations that he intended to remain out of government as an adviser to Trump. He became one of the most influential figures in the early days of the presidential transition, despite playing no official role in it. He has grown to serve as an essential watchdog for Trump, including shaping some of the information he receives about his staff and cabinet choices.
Over the years, Epshteyn had been urging an aggressive legal strategy. He was among the lawyers who encouraged him to delay trials as long as possible, delaying them closer to or after the election so that they became politically impractical. It was ultimately successful, preventing Trump’s conviction in the only criminal trial that did take place.
Despite, his influence in government will remain for a long time to come. One Trump adviser, seeking not to be named for fear of retribution from Epshteyn, described the overall situation as “the United States of Boris.”
Trump Administration Updates
Trump’s transition team is compiling a list of current and former high-ranking US Army officers who were directly involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and is exploring whether they could be court-martialed for their involvement, NBC News said.
He condemned the withdrawal as a “humiliation” and “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.” Officials are considering setting up a commission to investigate the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, including gathering information on who was directly involved in making decisions for the army, how it was carried out and whether military leaders could face charges as serious as treason.
Trump’s nominee for defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, criticised the troop withdrawal, saying the US has lost the war and wasted billions of dollars. He said Pentagon leaders have not been held accountable for the deadly attack on Abbey Gate that killed 13 US troops and about 170 Afghan civilians.
Also, Trump announced yesterday that Karoline Leavitt, who worked in his administration and was his campaign spokeswoman, is to become White House press secretary. Besides, Trump intends to appoint three members of his criminal defence team to senior positions in the department, raising further concerns about the politicisation of the department
