Trump's first Cabinet picks are not isolationists, bringing relief to Ukraine and Israel.

Although he expressed isolationist views, the initial selections for President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration come from a more traditionalist faction of the Republican Party.

On Tuesday, Trump announced that Rep. Michael Waltz would be his national security adviser, while sources suggest that he is considering Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state.

The trio, including New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, is expected to promote a pro-Israel agenda as ambassador to the United Nations.

Ukrainian advocates are also somewhat relieved.

Ukrainian officials are quietly relieved about upcoming appointments, as they believe there is potential for increased engagement, according to a source familiar with Ukrainian operations. This source added that after the Biden administration, which they believe has been overly cautious about U.S. involvement in the war with Russia, a significant number of senior Ukrainian officials are cautiously optimistic about what a change of pace might bring.

Waltz, a former Vice President Dick Cheney's counterterrorism adviser, is known as a hawk on China and Iran. He strongly opposed President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.

According to Waltz, no one, including the current administration, can create a practical counterterrorism plan without our involvement.

During the first Trump administration, a former Army Green Beret officer and ex-CEO of a defense contracting company presented legislation that aimed to prevent a mass troop withdrawal in Afghanistan unless the director of national intelligence confirmed that the Taliban would not collaborate with al-Qaeda.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2017, Waltz stated that he believed the US was committed to a long-term engagement in Afghanistan and that the nation's leadership should communicate this to the American people, acknowledging that the conflict was a multi-generational war aimed at defeating an ideology.

In 2021, Waltz voted to maintain the Iraq War Authorization while opposing the termination of U.S. involvement in the Yemen conflict.

If the U.S. applies some leverage, the war between Russia and Ukraine can end, according to Waltz in an interview with NPR last week.

Russia's "war machine will dry up very quickly" with U.S. economic sanctions, as well as "taking the handcuffs off of the long-range weapons we provided Ukraine," according to Waltz. Biden has long refused to allow Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to strike deep inside Russia.

Waltz criticized Israel's counterstrike on Iran's military targets last month, stating that it should have targeted Iran's oil and nuclear facilities instead. He questioned whether Biden/Harris pressured Israel to do less than it should have.

Rubio has been actively working to overthrow dictator Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, and is known for his hawkish stance on China and Iran.

Earlier this year, Rubio was among 15 Republicans who voted against a supplemental funding package for Ukraine, citing insufficient border provisions.

Rubio predicted that Trump would continue to support Taiwan if he were to regain the presidency, despite Trump's suggestion that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for its defense and his concerns about U.S. support for the island.

Both Rubio and Waltz have criticized NATO allies for not investing enough in defense, with Rubio advocating for Europe to take charge of its own security: "Germany, France, and the UK are capable of managing their relationship with the nuclear-armed aggressor to their east. However, they will never take ownership until they can rely less on America."

Last year, Rubio supported legislation that would prevent any president from withdrawing the U.S. from NATO without congressional approval, a measure aimed at safeguarding against Trump's potential abandonment of the alliance.

Some Trump die-hards criticized him for being too hawkish after he made a choice.

According to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who posted on X late Monday, there has been no SOS pick yet, as news outlets reported that Trump had settled on Rubio.

Libertarian-minded comedian Dave Smith said Tuesday that Rubio is "a disaster."

"It would be best to appoint Liz Cheney to the State Department," Smith wrote. "A negative indication."

Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated that Waltz and Rubio's stance represents a tough approach to China, encompassing not only economic competition but also political, military, and ideological rivalry.

"I'm getting flashbacks to the first Trump administration as I wonder whether he will fulfill his sometimes restrained foreign policy promises, such as ending the war in Ukraine and seeing Israel wrap up its conflicts."

"Rubio is no longer the Rubio many remember from 2016," he added.

"It appears that Rubio comprehends that the US faces resource limitations and must establish strategic priorities in a more competitive global environment."

And some restraint-minded thinkers hold out cautious optimism.

If Rubio adopts Trump's approach instead of pursuing his own agenda, he can transform the state department's role abroad, making it both respected and effective. Rubio understands that his future prospects depend on his ability to implement Trump's policies, not on personal ambitions, according to Jason Beardsley, senior coalitions adviser for Concerned Veterans for America.

"Waltz has a deep understanding of America's strategic priorities and is passionate about reforming the DoD from within while ensuring national security without overextending our military in costly, unnecessary engagements."