Trump has appointed his special envoy for specific missions.

The elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, has announced the nomination of Richard Grenell for the position of Presidential Special Envoy for Special Missions. He previously served as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) during Trump’s first administration.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Reuters.

According to Trump, Grenell will be working in several of the "hottest spots in the world."

"Rick will be working in some of the hottest spots in the world, including Venezuela and North Korea," the future head of the White House wrote on his Truth Social platform.

However, Trump did not provide details regarding this choice and did not specify any further responsibilities.

It is noted that Grenell has previously communicated with friends of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Reports indicated that in 2020, he secretly met with the leader of this South American country in an attempt to negotiate a peaceful exit for Maduro from power after the controversial re-election in 2018—during which most Western countries deemed the election results fraudulent. Ultimately, no agreement was reached.

A source close to Trump during the transition period told Reuters that Grenell will also focus on tensions in the Balkans.

It is worth mentioning that presidents appoint presidential and special envoys to concentrate on global issues, crises, or specific diplomatic efforts.

What is known about Richard Grenell

Previously, Grenell (a member of the U.S. Republican Party) served as Trump’s ambassador to Germany, special representative for peace negotiations regarding Serbia and Kosovo, as well as acting Director of National Intelligence during Trump's term from 2017 to 2021.

Grenell was also the spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State at the UN during George W. Bush’s administration. After leaving the State Department, he founded a political consulting firm, Capitol Media Partners, and contributed to Fox News.

Richard Grenell (photo: odni.gov)

It should be noted that ahead of the U.S. presidential elections on November 5, Richard Grenell was considered the leading candidate for the position of Secretary of State, but the position eventually went to U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.

Additionally, Grenell's candidacy was considered for the role of special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine war, which was ultimately awarded to retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg.