Trump won’t select Bolton as his deputy secretary of state

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump won’t select pro-Ukraine hawk John Bolton as his deputy secretary of state, several news report said, citing anonymous insiders close to the president.Bolton served for 17 months as the U.S. ambassador to the UN in 2005-06 and was among the leading neo-conservatives, an ideological faction that promoted spreasding liberal democracy and free markets to various parts of the world.

Zenon Zawada: Bolton was as strong an advocate of Ukraine as anyone being considered to Trump’s foreign policy team. Indeed his presence could have led to a direct conflict with Trumps nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who favors relaxing pressure on Russia.

Trump’s nomination for deputy secretary of state will be important in terms of his relations with Russia and Ukraine. If he chooses a different pro-Ukraine hawk, they could work to balance the Russian-leaning doves like Rex Tillerson and Michael Flynn.

If he nominates another dove (and if it’s approved by the U.S. Congress), the Trump foreign policy team could become firmly behind relaxing sanctions related to the illegal Crimea annexation.