Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that he expects to continue to receive support from Washington after Donald Trump enters the White House later this month. Trump’s return to the Oval Office has been a source of anxiety for some of Kiev’s backers as the president-elect has pledged to bring the war in Ukraine to a close.
In an interview with a British tabloid, Zelensky explained, “Trump can be decisive. For us, this is the most important thing.” He continued, “His qualities are indeed there,” Zelenskiy said of Trump. “He can be decisive in this war. He is capable of stopping Putin or, to put it more fairly, help us stop Putin. He is able to do this.”
While it is unclear what Zelenksy believes Trump will do, the main criticism of the Joe Biden administration’s Ukraine policy is the White House has been too indecisive regarding major military aid boosts, such as sending F-16s or Abrams tanks to Kiev. The critics argue that by the time the weapons systems reached Ukraine, it was too late in the war.
Zelensky’s optimism about the incoming Trump administration stands in contrast to many of Kiev’s backers in NATO. During the final year of the Biden presidency, the White House, Congress and NATO members worked to “Trump-proof” Washington’s support for Kiev.
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to end the war within 24-hours of taking office, often expressing concern over the large number of human lives lost in the conflict. However, Trump has not articulated a plan to end the war and was instrumental in rallying Republican support to pass a $61 billion aid package for Kiev last April.
Since winning the election in November, Trump has tapped a large number of hawks to join his administration. Both incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Envoy to the Ukraine War Keith Kellogg have expressed support for the Biden administration’s decision to escalate military support for Kiev post-election.
This includes Washington aiding Ukrainian forces in striking targets deep into Russian territory with US missiles, such attacks explicitly cross Moscow’s nuclear redlines.
Zelensky’s belief that Trump may “stop Putin” could be driven by a report last month in the Financial Times that Trump will continue to provide aid to Ukraine. “In a boost for allies deeply concerned over their ability to support and protect Ukraine without Washington’s backing, Trump now intends to maintain US military supplies to Kyiv after his inauguration,” the outlet explained.
Reprinted from Antiwar.com.
