The incoming US President Donald Trump will start in the coming weeks to assemble his next administration, and will decide who will lead Washington's foreign policy.
At the beginning of his first term, Trump appointed Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, but after a year of strained relations, he announced his dismissal on Twitter and the appointment of Mike Pompeo, who is still close to Trump and is expected to receive a position in the administration.
The selection of the Secretary of State takes place while Ukraine anxiously watches Trump's approach to funding their war. Similar concerns fill NATO, where Trump is expected to demand that other members pay more money.
Rick Grenell, the former US ambassador to Germany, is a prominent candidate for the position, among other things, because he is very close to Trump and serves as Trump's envoy for talks with right-wing and far-right elements around the world.
Senator Bill Hagerty is another candidate who served as the US ambassador to Japan and was an advisor during the Bush senior administration.
The former National Security Advisor, Robert O'Brien, is another candidate for the position. O'Brien has good relations with Trump, and is in the pro-Ukrainian wing of the Republican Party.
Senator Marco Rubio, who was once a fierce rival of Trump and in recent years has come back close to him, may get the position. It was previously reported that Trump considered appointing him as his vice president but ultimately chose J.D. Vance.
Congressman Mike Waltz, one of the most critical figures of the Biden administration, is expected to receive a position in the Trump administration, although not necessarily as Secretary of State.