Trump's NATO pick Matt Whitaker's surprising take on Russia seizing Crimea resurfaces as Putin threatens WWIII

Donald Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said back in 2014 that Russia's seizure of Crimea wasn't a threat to 'vital' U.S. interests. 

The invasion, as it turns out, was a prelude to the broader invasion in 2022 that now has the Kremlin threatening to strike a U.S. base in Poland and raising nuclear threats while NATO allies making new preparations for a potential World War II. 

The latest chilling sabre rattling came from Russian foreign minister said Moscow would 'react accordingly' after Ukraine fired U.S.-provided long-range weapons at its territory and Vladimir Putin ally Dmitry Medvedev posted that it meant 'World War III'.

Whitaker's comment, in the midst of a Republican primary during Whitaker's ill-fated run for the U.S. Senate, is one of a limited number of public pronouncements on geopolitics, U.S. alliances, and the nation's military spending. His position, if confirmed, would put him at the center of a historic standoff, with allies saying Russia's war threatens the entire transatlantic alliance.

Whitaker is a lawyer, a former U.S. attorney, a former Big Ten football player, and former Acting Attorney General who Trump installed when he fired Sen. Jeff Sessions while fuming over the Russia probe.

His comments on Crimea and U.S. 'boots on the ground' came during a debate in Des Moines against eventual winner Joni Ernst in response to a foreign policy question, just a few months after Russian forces seized the vital territory in 2014.

'Well, for me, it's what is in our national interest,' he said in the debate, hosted by KCCI.  'And I have a very high bar for what's in our national interest. For example, I didn't support going to Syria. I think this President was one of the prime example of him showing weakness.' 

'And I would look at, really, when are our vital interests being threatened? I don't see that happening right now in Crimea, for example, but there are ways we could strengthen NATO and the European Union,' Whitaker continued, in a clip obtained by DailyMail.com and unearthed by super PAC American Bridge, which is researching Trump nominees.

Then he compared himself to the candidate field on military spending. 

'Probably among these five, I would probably be the least likely to use our military and probably spend the least amount on the military. It's probably marginally less, but it is probably among these five I would do the least in that,' he said. 

Trump two years later could campaign on new military spending, calling the military 'so depleted' and vowing: 'We will rebuild our military.'

Even with the buildup, the U.S. would find itself short on ammunition, javelins, and missiles in the rush to supply Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion.

President Joe Biden, while shovelling billions in military aid to Ukraine, has resisting putting U.S. forces there. 

Whitaker did not hesitate when the moderator asked if the U.S. should have gone into Iraq.

'No, we should not have gone to Iraq,' Whitaker said.

That dovish position puts him in line with Trump, who now regularly criticizes the war (although fact-checks have decisively contradicted his claims that he opposed the 2003 invasion before it happened).

In another debate, Whitaker spoke about Ukraine as a 'fairly new democracy' that was 'split almost right down the middle to Russian speaker and the non Russian speakers' trying to determine 'which way to look.'

'Ukrainians need to come up with a solution and not have to favor one group or the other,' he said.

He blamed Barack Obama for his 'very weak response' after Russia invaded Georgia, another former Soviet republic.

'I see why President Putin is very willing to go into Crimea and secure his port in Sevastopol and really now we have a election that is being propped up to have an independent state in Crimea that will look to Russia and it’s all because of this president and his weak foreign policy,' he said.

Trump has revealed the premium he is putting on personal loyalty in his early picks, including selecting Pam Bondi, who represented him during his first impeachment, as attorney general after the Matt Gaetz nomination imploded.

Whitaker scores high marks in that category as well, saying in a 2019 Fox News interview defending Trump that 'abuse of power is not a crime.'

Trump has picked Whitaker for the key ambassadorial post at a time when key allies are making contingencies for World War III amid Kremlin threats over the war in Ukraine.

Trump said Whitaker, who he installed in the top-level Justice Department post amid the Mueller probe during his first term, would be a 'strong warrior and loyal Patriot.'

He said he would 'ensure the United States' interests are advanced and defended. Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.'

Trump has long been a critic of NATO and the way allies have lived up to burden-sharing commitments, and allies are busy gaming out how his return will impact global relationships.

Trump's announcement comes after days of incendiary rhetoric following reports that President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range ATACAMs provided by the U.S. to strike deep inside Russia – something the Ukrainian's appear to have quickly acted on.

It sparked furious warnings from the Kremlin that it was 'fueling the fire' and from Kremlin allies that it could bring World War III.

That followed Russia's introduction of thousands of allied North Korean troops onto its territory as it seeks to push back Ukrainians holding seized territory inside its Kursk region.

Then, the administration confirmed it would send controversial antipersonnel land mines to Ukraine. The new anti-personnel landmines are more sensitive but also can lead to more civilian deaths.

Meanwhile, European nations are gearing up for an all-out war on the continent as Ukraine launched US-made missiles into Russia for the first time and Vladimir Putin officially lowered the threshold for Moscow to consider a nuclear strike.

Germany's foreign minister vowed her country 'will not be intimidated' by Putin, just one day after German media revealed the nation will transform into a NATO staging ground if the conflict to the East should escalate.

According to a 1,000-page document entitled 'Operationsplan Deutschland', Germany would reportedly host hundreds of thousands of troops from NATO countries and serve as a logistics hub for sending huge quantities of military equipment, food and medicine toward the front.

A report by Der Spiegel in the summer said as many as 800,000 soldiers from the security bloc could be hosted by Germany as they transit to posts further East. 

Putin signed off on an updated version of the Kremlin's nuclear doctrine that broadens the scope for Moscow to turn to its fearsome atomic arsenal.

The new document, first announced in September, allows Putin's strategic forces to deploy their devastating weapons if Russia or Belarus is threatened by a non-nuclear nation supported by a nuclear power.

Returning from a trip to South America late Tuesday, Biden would respond to shouted questions about long-range missiles or reports that Russia had been behind the cutting of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea in apparent sabotage.

Finland reminded its citizens of their 'national defense obligation' and recently launched a new information website, while Sweden laid out a detailed guide on how to seek shelter and what to do in case of a nuclear attack.

Trump, whose cabinet picks have run into controversy, praised Whitaker, a former Big Ten football player at the University of Iowa who served as a U.S. attorney in his home state.

'I have full 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 promote PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, Freedom, and Prosperity around the World.'

Whitaker is a lawyer and Trump loyalist who does not have foreign policy experience. 

Whitaker held a key post overseeing the Russia probe – which Trump continues to brand a 'witch hunt' – during his first term.

Trump installed him as acting AG over the objection of Rod Rosenstein, who had appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel overseeing the probe. 

Democrats had voiced concerns that Whitaker, who didn't go through Senate confirmation, would shut down the probe.

He also served as chief of staff to Trump's first AG, Jeff Sessions, who infuriated Trump by recusing himself from the Russia probe. He denied interfering with the probe in testimony to congressional Democrats.

Whitaker has used frequent TV appearances on Fox News to blast the criminal cases against Trump, and has been involved in the the right-leaning America First Policy Institute.

Trump's announcement brought reminders of some of the oddities on his resume from years ago.

Before Trump installed him at the DOJ, his gigs included serving on the advisory board of World Patent Marketing.

Democrats accused the firm of running a patent scam with products such as the ‘Masculine Toilet’ for ‘well-endowed men.’

According to the firm, it featured a ‘specially designed bowl’ to help the men ‘avoid unwanted contact with porcelain or water.’

If plumbing is still stuck on his mind, Whitaker’s future residence (the post requires Senate confirmation – something he avoided as ‘acting’ AG) – his future digs likely have more than one bathroom that could use a refresh. Truman Hall, built by a chocolatier in the Flemish countryside in 1963 near NATO headquarters in Brussels, has a ‘sweeping lawn, towering cedars, English gardens and an herb harden,’ according to the U.S. Mission to NATO. ‘The interiors are humanly scaled with sensible arrangements and elegant proportions.’

The announcement comes as Trump's team is in the Senate trying to line up support for his controversial choice of former Rep. Matt Gaetz to lead the Justice Department despite an Ethics Committee probe into alleged sex trafficking allegations. 

Trump spent his first term blasting allies including Germany who failed to live up to spending commitments for defense. He also ordered a U.S. troop drawdown in Germany amid complaints about its defense spending – although the Biden administration has praised German efforts to send arms to Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion.

Early this year, Trump spoke about what he would encourage Russia to do to U.S. allies who don't meet their spending commitments while recounting a conversation with 'one of the presidents of a big country.'

'No, I would not protect you,' Trump said he told the foreign leader 'In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.'