Key Trump pick calls for end to escalation in Ukraine

AFP: US President-elect Donald Trump's top security advisor called on Sunday for an end to the escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia, and for both parties to come to the negotiating table.

"We need to bring this to a responsible end. We need to restore deterrence, restore peace, and get ahead of this escalation ladder, rather than responding to it," said Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for the influential role of US national security advisor (NSA).

In recent days, Washington has authorized Kyiv to use US-supplied missiles to strike targets in Russian territory and agreed to supply it with landmines, prompting Moscow to respond with the use of an experimental medium-range ballistic missile.

Waltz, a noted foreign policy hawk and former US special forces officer, has been critical of Russia but has, like Trump, opposed increasing aid to Ukraine.

"President Trump has been very clear about the need to end this conflict," he told US media outlet Fox News on Sunday.

"We need to be discussing is who's at that table, whether it's an agreement, an armistice, how to get both sides to the table and then what's the framework of a deal?"

Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, with the United States and others coming to Kyiv's aid in its fight to hold its territory in the east of the country.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has in the past ruled out ceding any territory to Russia, and told Fox News on Tuesday that Ukraine would lose the war if Washington pulls funding.

President Joe Biden's administration has promised a smooth transition to Trump, who has pledged major shake-ups on both foreign and domestic policy.

On Sunday, Waltz said he had met Biden's NSA Jake Sullivan and warned adversaries abroad against thinking they could gain an advantage in the months before Trump takes office in January.

"For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity that they can play one administration off the other. They're wrong... we are hand in glove."

Waltz also lauded "the strength and the grit" of Israel in its offensive against Hamas, which has killed at least 44,211 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to local authorities.

The war was triggered by the assault on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, a cross-border raid that resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

"Now is a moment to craft some type of arrangement that doesn't just put a pause for future October 7th's (but) truly brings stability to the Middle East," said Waltz.