"Hawk" and Iran critic: Media reveal Trump's potential candidate for special representative on war in Ukraine

US President-elect Donald Trump is considering appointing veteran diplomat Brian Hook as his special representative to negotiate an "end to the war" between Russia and Ukraine.

Source: ZN.UA news agency, citing unnamed sources, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Brian Hook, 56, is a lawyer who has served in Republican administrations under George W. Bush and Donald Trump, primarily within the State Department. He also acted as a senior foreign policy advisor during Mitt Romney's campaign.

In Trump’s administration, Hook focused on Iran policy – first as the head of an interagency group coordinating sanctions, then as a special representative and senior advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Hook supported a hardline approach towards Iran, advocating for the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the operation that led to the killing of Qasem Soleimani, a top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general.

There is no public record of this American diplomat having any prior experience related to Ukraine.

Media sources report that Trump has tasked Brian Hook with overseeing the transition of authority within the State Department.

Background: 

• Fox News reported that the US president-elect may soon appoint a special representative to lead "peace negotiations" between Ukraine and Russia.
• At this stage, the scope of authority for this representative is unclear. However, the appointment aligns with Trump’s stated aim to achieve a "swift resolution" to the war in Ukraine.
• Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that one of the ideas within Trump’s team to fulfil his promise of "quickly ending the war" involves potentially freezing the front line at its current position, establishing a demilitarised zone, and imposing a 20-year moratorium on NATO membership for Ukraine.

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