United States President Donald Trump appointed Lieutenant General HR McMaster as his National Security Adviser (NSA) today, replacing the recently ousted Michael Flynn. Trump referred to McMaster, a prominent military strategist, as “a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience” while making the announcement. “He [McMaster] is highly respected by everyone in the military, and we’re very honoured to have him,” he added. Accepting his new role as the President’s NSA, McMaster, 54, said he looked forward to “doing everything that I can to advance and protect the interests of the American people”.

Known as a creative thinker, McMaster is a veteran of the US’s campaigns in Iraq – both the Gulf war of 1991 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 – and is considered the US military’s most independent-minded officers. In recent times, he has been studying Russia’s campaigns in Ukraine and Crimea where Moscow employed what has come to be known as “hybrid warfare”. McMaster’s appointment was well received by members of the Republican Party, some of whom actively lobbied for his selection.