US President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his commitment to rebuilding America’s military and resolving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict during a gala at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday.
Trump, who ran on an “America First” foreign policy, vowed to strengthen the US military, saying, “We’re going to fix our military, we did it once and now we’ll do it again.” He emphasized his goal of reducing taxes and ensuring national security, which he sees as key to returning the country to greatness.
The former president also expressed his desire to bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, reiterating his earlier pledge to work on a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. While Trump has previously stated he wants to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine, he has not provided specific details on how he would achieve peace. “It’s got to stop,” Trump said, stressing his focus on both the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine situation.
In his remarks, Trump also criticized the large financial commitment the US made to Afghanistan, following the withdrawal of American troops in 2021 after nearly two decades of conflict with the Taliban.
Trump’s re-election could potentially shift the direction of US foreign policy, including its multibillion-dollar support for Ukraine. The Republican candidate has claimed he could end the conflict within hours, possibly through direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Additionally, Trump announced his nomination of Fox News host Pete Hegseth, a National Guard veteran, as his choice for Secretary of Defense, despite Hegseth’s relatively limited military experience. If confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth would oversee the US military, which includes 3.4 million personnel and an annual budget of around $850 billion.
Trump has also tasked Elon Musk with advising on cutting $2 trillion from the federal government’s budget, which currently stands at $7 trillion.
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