President-elect Trump tapped former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker on Wednesday to become US ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in his new administration.

Trump described Whitaker, who is from Iowa, as “a strong warrior and loyal patriot who will ensure that the interests of the United States are advanced and defended.”

“Matt will strengthen relations with our NATO allies and remain steadfast in the face of threats to peace and stability. He will put AMERICA first,” Trump said in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence in Matt’s ability to represent the United States with strength, integrity and unwavering dedication. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to advance PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, Freedom and Prosperity around the world .”

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Former U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker speaks during a rally for Donald Trump at Montana State University on August 9, 2024 in Bozeman, Montana. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

“Matt is also the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, and is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a BA, MBA and JD, where he played football and received the Big Ten Medal of Honor,” Trump added.

Former Acting United States Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and others support former President Trump as he arrives in New York City for his ‘hush money’ trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 21, 2024. (Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images)

Wednesday’s appointment comes at an important time for the alliance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday formally lowered the threshold for the Kremlin’s use of its nuclear weapons, a move that follows President Biden’s decision to let Ukraine attack targets on Russian territory with American-supplied long-range missiles.

The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response from Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any country backed by a nuclear power.

Former Action Attorney General Matt Whitaker during a campaign event for former President Trump at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, on Sunday, January 14, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine fired six US-made ATACMS missiles early Tuesday at a military facility in Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, adding that air defenses shot down five and one more has damaged. The Ukrainian military claimed the attack hit a Russian ammunition depot.

Putin first announced changes to nuclear doctrine in September, when he chaired a meeting discussing the proposed revisions. He has previously warned the US and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean Russia and NATO are at war.

Whitaker served as acting attorney general from November 2018 to February 2019.

That was after Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned at Trump’s request amid special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged Russian collusion by the Trump campaign. Whitaker was Sessions’ chief of staff and was critical of the investigation.

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Trump later nominated Bill Barr as the permanent replacement to lead the Justice Department after Sessions’ departure.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.