Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said during an interview over the weekend that it was a mistake for U.S. adversaries to believe that they could play the Biden administration off of the incoming Trump administration.

Waltz made the remarks during a Sunday interview on “Fox News Sunday” while talking about the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“This is a clear escalation,” Waltz said of Russia’s decision to introduce a more advanced ballistic missile into the war. “And the concern has been, where is this escalation going?”

“This is in response, in large part, to North Korea sending troops,” he continued. “We have now responded by allowing these strikes deeper into Russia, and I want to be clear that they are hitting things like supply depots and airfields and pushing the Russian offensive back. They are not going all the way to Moscow or St. Petersburg.”

“South Korea is talking about somehow getting involved, and President Trump has been very clear about the need to end this conflict,” he continued. “So what we need to be discussing is who is at that table, whether any agreement or an armistice can take place, how to get both sides to the table, and then what the framework of a deal looks like.”

He added that he has been in talks with current national security adviser Jake Sullivan about the escalating conflict.

“For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity, that they can play one administration off the other — they are wrong,” he said. “And we are hand in glove. We are one team with the United States in this transition.”

WATCH:

WATCH: @michaelgwaltz discusses what he hopes to accomplish in his new position of national security adviser. pic.twitter.com/z30kdIuRB8

— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) November 24, 2024