Trump taps former acting AG Matthew Whitaker as NATO ambassador

President-elect Trump on Wednesday tapped former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to become U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in his new administration. 

Trump described Whitaker, who is from Iowa, as "a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States' interests are advanced and defended."

"Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability - He will put AMERICA FIRST," Trump said in a statement. "I have full confidence in Matt’s ability to represent the United States with Strength, Integrity, and unwavering Dedication. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to promote PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, Freedom, and Prosperity around the World."

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"Matt is also the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, and is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a B.A., MBA and J.D., where he played football, and received the Big Ten Medal of Honor," Trump added. 

The appointment Wednesday comes at a significant juncture for the alliance. 

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of its nuclear weapons, a move that follows President Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russian territory with American-supplied longer-range missiles.

The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.

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Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine fired six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles early Tuesday at a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, adding that air defenses shot down five of them and damaged one more. Ukraine's military claimed the strike hit a Russian ammunition depot.

Putin first announced changes in the nuclear doctrine in September, when he chaired a meeting discussing the proposed revisions. He has previously warned the U.S. and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.

Whitaker served as Acting Attorney General from November 2018 to February 2019, according to the Justice Department website. 

That was after Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned at Trump's request amid Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian collusion. Whitaker was Session's chief of staff and was critical of the probe. 

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Trump later nominated Bill Barr as the permanent replacement to head the Justice Department following Sessions' departure.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.