As US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office next month, his approach to the ongoing war in Ukraine has become a focal point of international concern.
The president-elect's recent statements and proposed strategies have sparked debate about the future of US support for Ukraine and the potential for a swift resolution to the war.
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Trump has consistently emphasized his desire to end the war quickly, famously claiming he could resolve it within 24 hours of taking office. While this timeline seems improbable, his recent comments suggest a shift in US policy that could dramatically alter the war's trajectory.
In an interview published Thursday with Time – the same day the president-elect was named the magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ – Trump expressed strong opposition to Ukraine's use of US-supplied weapons for long-range strikes into Russian territory. “I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia,” he said. “Why are we doing that? We're just escalating this war and making it worse.”
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His comments align with the rhetoric used by his campaign advocates criticizing the level of US support for Ukraine under the Biden administration since 2022. “That should not have been allowed to be done,” Trump said, referring to the aid. “Now they're doing not only missiles, but they're doing other types of weapons. And I think that's a very big mistake, very big mistake.”
When asked if he would abandon Ukraine once in the White House, Trump avoided committing to anything. “I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you're going to reach an agreement is not to abandon. You understand what that means, right?... You can't reach an agreement if you abandon, in my opinion.”
“And I disagree with the whole thing, because it should have never happened,” he added, before discussing the role of oil prices in the war. He also claimed that war in the Middle East is “more complicated than the Russia-Ukraine, but I think it’s easier to solve.”
Concerns loom large in Ukraine about the potential for reduced US support under a Trump presidency with attention divided between several domestic and international crises. The president-elect's admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his previous statements blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rather than Putin for the war have fueled skepticism about his intentions.
Trump's team has outlined a peace plan that includes an 800-mile demilitarized buffer zone along the frontlines, policed by UK and European militaries, with Ukraine shelving its NATO aspirations for at least two decades. This proposal, which appears to include acceptance of Russia's annexation of Crimea, has raised alarms in Kyiv.
The proposed strategy appears to involve using US aid as leverage to push both Ukraine and Russia toward negotiations. He told Time, “I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you're going to reach an agreement is not to abandon.”
This approach, which Trump calls “peace through strength,” has received cautious acknowledgment from Zelensky, who described a recent phone conversation with Trump as “excellent.”
Russian officials have indicated a willingness to consider Trump's proposals. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated, “Russia is prepared to review Trump's suggestions regarding Ukraine, but reviewing does not equate to agreement,” per Newsweek.
This openness from Moscow, coupled with Trump's desire for a quick resolution, could lead to significant pressure on Ukraine to accept compromises.
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