On November 12, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will head a new "Department of Government Efficiency."
Ramaswamy, a successful businessman, and Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X (formerly Twitter), have limited political experience, apart from Ramaswamy’s brief Republican primary campaign this year.
Musk has expressed controversial views on Ukraine, including the idea of Ukraine giving up some land to Russia, while Ramaswamy has been one of the most vocal opponents of U.S. military support for Ukraine.
After running for the Republican nomination, Ramaswamy endorsed Trump in January 2024.
Trump first mentioned creating a "Department of Government Efficiency" in September, suggesting Musk as a possible leader.
This was reported by The Kyiv Independent.
Musk gained praise early in the Ukraine invasion by providing internet access through his Starlink network, but he later faced backlash for comments suggesting Ukraine negotiate with Russia over territory.
Musk has reportedly been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022. According to Axios, he was even on a recent call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President-elect Trump.
Ramaswamy has consistently opposed U.S. aid to Ukraine. In a discussion on X with Republican senators on February 12, he argued against a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Although the package eventually passed, delays contributed to setbacks in Ukraine. During his campaign, Ramaswamy also used inflammatory language, calling Zelensky a "Nazi" and a "comedian in cargo pants" and supporting recognition of occupied Ukrainian territories as Russian.
Trump also appointed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Homeland Security chief; she previously stated that Russia’s invasion is “Europe’s fight, not ours.”
Michael Waltz, who moved from supporting U.S. aid for Ukraine to prioritizing resources for countering China, will be Trump’s national security advisor.
Pete Hegseth, an Army veteran and Fox News host, will be defense secretary, while Senator Marco Rubio is expected to serve as Secretary of State.
