As it loses to Russia, Ukraine greets Trump's victory with public praise and private concern
Among the first world leaders to publicly react to Donald Trump's recent election victory was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hailed his victory at X and applauded what he described as Trump's commitment to achieving “peace through force.”
But privately, Ukrainian officials are likely to express deep concern about what a Trump presidency might say about the country's war with Russian troops, which are rapidly taking over hundreds of square kilometers in southeastern Ukraine, as it progresses at a faster pace than a year ago. .
“Frankly speaking, the Ukrainian people are in a very difficult situation,” said Michael Cox, emeritus professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, in an interview with CBC News.
“One has to think that the Ukrainian government, Zelenskyy and others will face a lot of pressure to agree to … a deal with Russia that will not be in Ukraine's favor.”
Ukrainian officials have gone expressed frustration earlier and the Biden administration for what they see as a slow movement of weapons and restrictions on how they can be used, for fear of antagonizing Russia. But Trump could reduce or stop transfers altogether.
He has consistently criticized the tens of billions of dollars in arms and financial aid the US has sent to Ukraine, and vowed as president to end the war, even promising to do so within 24 hours.
Trump has never specified how he will achieve that, but his uncertainty and constant criticism of Zelenskyy, as well as what Trump calls a “good relationship” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, have raised concerns that Ukraine could be forced into negotiations.
Disputes about defense costs
During the European period as well NATO leaders have promised increasing defense spending, including support for Ukraine, the US remains the largest donor, sending more than $55 billion US with military equipment to Ukraine from the end of January 2022.
Republicans in Congress delayed its passage of the US government's aid package to Ukraine earlier this year, and to build what military analysts say is a critical shortage of weapons and other weapons on the battlefield.
As Russia can rise its military production and strengthen its power beyond that 10,000 North Korean soldiers, now it seems to be in a much stronger position than it has been in months. Trump's election adds more uncertainty to Ukraine.
About 8,000 North Korean troops are now in Russia near the Ukrainian border and are preparing to help the Kremlin fight Ukrainian forces in the coming days, the Biden administration said Thursday. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at a ministerial conference about the human dimension of the 10-point Ukraine peace formula.
Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kyiv-based political analyst and director at the Center for Political Studies, fears that Trump will pressure Ukraine to negotiate, but he doubts that Trump will push to accept a deal entirely on Russia's terms.
“This will look like a defeat for the US, and its advisers, I mean [Trump] himself, understand this,” said Fesenko.
While Trump has yet to reveal what his Ukraine peace plan might look like, his vice president JD Vance has revealed his vision in time. radio show interview in September.
He said he thinks the agreement will include that the conflict will be stopped along the current battle lines, with Russia retaining the territory it has occupied in Ukraine and an area not previously targeted.
Vance said that while Ukraine's defenses would be strengthened to prevent further attacks, Russia would receive “a guarantee of neutrality in Ukraine.”
NATO membership is in jeopardy
Trump has previously criticized NATO and warned members of the alliance that the US will only help Europe in the event of future attacks if it spends more money on defense.
“It's possible that Trump will shut down [the door on] Ukraine's membership of NATO, which will provoke a negative reaction to Zelenskyy,” said Fesenko.
Zelenskyy met with both Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at the time a trip to the US in September to sell his plan of peace, echoing Ukraine's persistent request to use US long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory.
Despite begging for permission for months, the Biden administration did not give Kyiv the green light.
Trump, who has spoken many times Zelensky as a “dealer” urging the US to send tens of billions of dollars in arms and criticizing him for not negotiating with Russia sooner, he said he had a good relationship with him when they stood side by side in front of reporters on September 27.
Republican President Donald Trump says he will work with Ukraine and Russia to end their war if elected, as he stands next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before their meeting in New York. Zelenskyy said he wants to discuss his “win-win plan” for Ukraine with Trump.
Trump also said he has a good relationship with Putin and that the war was “resolved very quickly.”
The extent of Trump's relationship with Putin is unclear. A book recently published by American journalist Bob Woodward says that Trump has spoken to Putin many times since he left office after his first term as president.
The Kremlin denied those claims, but Trump did not, adding that if he spoke to Putin, it would be “smart thing” to do.
After Trump declared victory on Tuesday, the Kremlin said the US – which it still considers an “unfriendly” country – could play a role in ending the war in Ukraine, but that it did not happen “overnight.”
Ukrainians are thinking about their future
In the Ukrainian city of Irpin, which he was brutalized during the first days of the Russian invasion in 2022, hundreds of displaced people from southern and eastern Ukraine lived in ordinary houses. Many here doubt that the war will end suddenly because a new US president has been elected.
“How [the war] will it be over in 24 hours?” said Natalia Panachuk, a 73-year-old who lives in Irpin with her 76-year-old husband, Volodymr.[The Russians] bomb every day. What can be changed?”
The elderly couple, who spoke to a reporter working for CBC News, are actually from the Ukrainian town of Hostomel, which was attacked at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, as the military tries to take the key. we are flying.
The Panachuks said that when the Russian soldiers retreated from the area, they held them as human shields and put them in a car with a white flag. They were then driven in front of a military convoy as it left Ukraine for neighboring Belarus.
After being stranded in Belarus for a week, local volunteers helped them make their way to Poland, and the Panachuks eventually returned to Ukraine.
Their home in Hostomel was destroyed, so they continue to live in temporary housing in Irpin.
Serhiy Saenko, 62, lives in the same housing development after fleeing the community of Krasnogorovka in Donetsk region, which Russian forces completely captured in September.
Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia claimed after holding referendums which is considered illegal by most of the world. Maintaining those areas is an important part of any disarmament programs set up by Russia.
Saenko thinks that under Trump, the US will reduce aid to Ukraine. But he is not sure that the situation in his country will get worse.
“We will continue to suffer,” said Saenko. “We will negotiate, we want the bloodshed to stop so that our boys don't die.”
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