US President-elect Donald Trump, who during his election campaign declared his intention to quickly end the war in Ukraine and support the American economy by introducing new tariffs, faced his first real challenges. According to The Hill , after winning the election in November, Trump admitted that the implementation of his large-scale promises may be much more difficult than expected.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he will end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in a short period of time. In a September debate, he said the war could be over before he officially became president. However, in his subsequent statements, Trump emphasized that resolving the situation in Ukraine will be more difficult than reducing tensions in the Middle East.
At a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump said that resolving the conflict would require the willingness of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Russian President Vladimir Putin to make compromises. At the same time, he did not specify exactly what concessions both sides should make.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi in his interview with Fox News expressed the opinion that it will be "easy" for Trump to influence Putin. "He is stronger. The United States is stronger. The economy is stronger," Zelensky said.
Economic promises and tariffs
Among Trump's key promises was lowering food prices by increasing energy supplies. He has often criticized the Biden administration for high inflation and has said that lowering the cost of goods will be one of his priorities.
However, in his later interviews, Trump was more cautious about these statements. In an interview with Time magazine, he noted: "It's hard to knock down things that have risen."
Democrats have accused Trump of breaking his promises even before the start of his presidency. Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote on Platform X: "Candidate Trump promised to lower food prices, but now he doesn't seem like he's even going to try."
Despite ambitious statements regarding Ukraine and the economy, the implementation of Trump's promises faces numerous challenges. Against the backdrop of statements about the difficulties in regulating global conflicts and economic policy, critics note that Trump's campaign rhetoric may differ from actual actions.
"Trump's peace plan": what is known about it
As previously reported by UNIAN, Western mass media, citing informed sources, wrote that the "peace plan" of the US president-elect may involve Ukraine's refusal to join NATO for 20 years and the freezing of the front line without the return of territories. According to sources, Trump does not yet know how he will convince Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sit down at the negotiating table.
Mykhailo Samus, director of the New Geopolitical Research Network, believes that US President-elect Donald Trump may sign two separate memorandums with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He also expressed the opinion that Trump will try to freeze the war, because it is impossible to end it.
But the former ambassador of Ukraine to the USA Oleg Shamshur said that one can only guess and make assumptions about what the main elements of Trump's peace plan will be. "Frankly speaking, what we know absolutely does not add anything to optimism, but drives us into such deep pessimism," Shamshur noted.
