Ukraine supporters among U.S. Secretary of State candidates

Three candidates have emerged as the potential U.S. Secretary of State under President-elect Donald Trump, reported on Nov. 10 the politico.com news site.

John Bolton, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. between 2005 and 2006, has been among the most outspoken critics of Russian President Putin, his military aggression in Ukraine and his sponsorship of terrorism in Ukraine. He has also been an outspoken critic of the Russian foreign policy of U.S. President Barack Obama, accusing him of acting in confusion in regards to Ukraine.

Bob Corker, the current head of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is an outspoken critic of Russian President Putin and his military aggression and sponsorship of terrorism in Ukraine. Corker has accused U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry of “wishy-washiness” (confusion) in emboldening Putin in his actions in Ukraine.

Newt Gingrich, who served as the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives between 1995 and 1999, visited Ukraine in September as part of the Yalta European Strategy summit. During this visit, he gave an interview to the eurointegration.com.ua news site in which he stressed the need for the U.S. to enable Ukraine to defend itself militarily against Russia and the willingness of a Trump administration to sell arms to the Ukrainian government on loan.