Trump's nominee for U.S. Attorney General, Gaetz, suggested replacing Ukraine with Russia in NATO.

The future U.S. Attorney General, Republican representative Matt Gaetz, made a provocative statement in 2023 regarding NATO expansion. He suggested that if the question arises of whom to admit to the Alliance – Russia or Ukraine – it would be strategically more advantageous to include the Russian Federation. According to him, this would facilitate the creation of an alliance against China, which poses a much more serious global challenge for the U.S.

Gaetz made these remarks in a comment to Newsmax, asserting that Russia is a better NATO ally than Ukraine.

"It would be better to invite Russia into NATO and form an anti-China alliance. If we had to choose between Russia or Ukraine for NATO, one could reasonably argue that Russia would probably provide more benefits," - Gaetz stated on July 12, 2023.

He claimed that the military threats from China, including the potential establishment of a secret military base in Cuba, are far more serious for the U.S. than Russian tanks. He mentioned that they are already "broken" and do not pose a significant threat.

What is known about Gaetz and Trump's plans for him

On November 13, Donald Trump officially announced his decision to appoint Republican Matt Gaetz as the U.S. Attorney General. According to Trump's social media announcement, Gaetz, a longtime supporter of the former president, will "defend borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans' trust in the Department of Justice."

However, the very next day, on November 14, the U.S. Department of Justice sharply reacted to this decision, calling it 'crazy'. Matt Gaetz has a legal education but has never worked as a prosecutor; he received Trump's support due to his dedication to Republican values and strong criticism of the Department of Justice and the FBI.

Nonetheless, his candidacy has become controversial not only due to a lack of prosecutorial experience but also because of numerous scandals that have accompanied his political career. In particular, investigations into Gaetz regarding his potential connections to illegal activities have drawn the attention of senators. Many Republican senators, including John Cornyn from Texas, are calling for a thorough investigation into Gaetz's candidacy.

It is worth noting that within NATO, seven countries oppose Ukraine's membership, including the U.S. and Germany.