US President-elect Donald trumpnamed Republican Senator Marco Rubio to be yours Secretary of State.

“He will be a steadfast defender of our nation, a true friend to our allies and a fearless warrior who will never back down from our adversaries,” Trump said in a statement.

Rubio was perhaps the toughest choice on Trump’s list for the job, and he has in the past advocated a strong foreign policy against U.S. geopolitical enemies such as China, Iran and Cuba.

You might be interested > Trump nominated Elon Musk for public office

Rubio votes against $95 billion in military aid to Ukraine

The Ukraine crisis will be central to Rubio’s agenda.

Rubio, 53, has said in recent interviews that Ukraine needs to seek a negotiated settlement with Russia rather than focus on returning all the territory Russia has seized over the past decade.

You might be interested > Trump appoints Fox News host as Secretary of Defense

He was also one of 15 Republican senators to vote against the $95 billion military aid package to Ukraine approved in April.

“I’m not on Russia’s side, but unfortunately the reality is that the war in Ukraine will end with a negotiated agreement,” Rubio said. NBK in September.

Rubio’s election has implications both nationally and internationally.

By bringing Rubio into a key political role, Trump could help consolidate gains among Latinos and make it clear that they have a place at the highest levels of your administration.

Rubio is one of the main anti-China hawks in the Senate

Most notably, in 2019, he asked the Treasury Department to launch a national security review into the acquisition of Musical.ly by popular Chinese social media app TikTok, prompting an investigation and a problematic divestment order.

You might be interested > Donald Trump’s people; Who is your cabinet candidate?

Rubio, whose grandfather fled Cuba in 1962, has also openly opposed normalizing relations with the Cuban government, a position shared by Trump.

The head of the House subcommittee overseeing Latin American affairs, he is also a frequent and harsh critic of Nicolas Maduro’s government in Venezuela.

What did Marco Rubio say after he was appointed Secretary of State?

“Leading the U.S. State Department is a tremendous responsibility, and I am honored by President Trump’s trust in me.

“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to advance your foreign policy agenda. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will achieve peace through strength and will always put the interests of the American people and the United States above all else.

“I look forward to securing the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to ensure the president has a national security and foreign policy team in place when he takes office on January 20,” he said.