Report: Trump’s New Russia Adviser Has No Expertise On The Subject Matter
JakeThomas
The person President Donald Trump chose as his new — and third — adviser on Russia has no meaningful experience on the subject, The Washington Post noted this week in a report detailing the aftermath of Trump’s Ukraine crisis.
Andrew Peek, who was a deputy assistant secretary of State in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs focusing on Iraq and Iran policy prior to taking the new post, replaced Tim Morrison on the National Security Council in October.
Morrison resigned just before offering testimony to House impeachment investigators regarding Trump’s alleged attempt to leverage U.S. military aid and a White House visit to secure Ukrainian investigations into his political adversaries.
Politico reported that Peek’s work centered on Iraq and Iran at the State Department, where he “worked extensively on hostage negotiations”, particularly regarding Americans held in Iran.
Before taking up public service in government, Peek “enlisted as a reserve officer in the Army and spent a year in Afghanistan with Gen. David Petraeus, who was then commander of U.S. forces.”
Though Trump’s newest Russia adviser studied international politics at Princeton University and holds a master’s in international relations from Harvard University, Peek’s background includes no meaningful experience in Russia-related matters.