After the end of the presidential elections in the USA, the question of which of the presidents, Trump or Biden, will be able to best support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression is becoming more acute. The thesis that Donald Trump can be a more effective leader for Ukraine than the current president Joe Biden is increasingly being discussed in new Western media publications. According to some analysts, Trump, being more pragmatic and less constrained by diplomatic traditions, can end the conflict on the front line sooner.
Politico writes that in some European circles and even in Kyiv, "there is secret relief that Trump can end the war" and "is much more likely to get a better deal from Moscow."
"Trump has some personal interest in this. He prides himself on being a master deal maker and doesn't want to be seen as making a terrible deal. And during his phone calls to Zelenskyi and their recent meeting in New York, "he instilled some confidence" in the Ukrainian leader that he will not simply abandon Ukraine," said a source in the Republican Party.
In this way, he will ease the burden on the West, which because of its "stupidity" promised to help Ukraine to reach the borders of 1991. And Zelenskyi will receive "cover from probably angry front-line Ukrainian soldiers." He will blame Trump for the loss of territories already captured by Russia - because this is exactly what will be needed to conclude an agreement.
At the same time, Ukraine is very unlikely to receive NATO membership, and in this regard the agreement will be "disgusting", "Putin's banditry will be rewarded", but, the article says, this is the result of the actions of the West, which has been weakening its military potential for decades. And there is no alternative to ending the war on the front line.
"There is no other alternative. If you don't take into account the "forever war" or the Western powers themselves becoming participants in hostilities - or at least putting their economies on war rails to supply Ukraine much more than now - such a harsh reality. And, according to a republican foreign policy expert who is familiar with Zelenskyi and his entourage, Kyiv understands this," the publication writes.
The source says that Kyiv now believes that Trump's victory is better than Harris's because, like Biden's, it would simply help Ukraine "slowly die." Although recently it has not been so slow, given the speed of progress on the Russian front.
And if she had won, but the Republicans had won a majority in Congress, then Harris would not have been able to receive any additional aid at all. And for Trump, if he wishes, it is enough to "click his fingers".
The danger, however, as the newspaper writes, is that Zelenskyi - also a trader, the "greatest" in history, according to Trump - will not make enough concessions, and Trump will begin to see the problem in Ukraine.
"Ukrainians should make sure that Trump does not see them as an obstacle to peace, and they should not be the first to say no, even when stupid ideas are thrown at them. They need the Russians to keep saying "no" to him, and the Ukrainians to look like the smart side. Then Trump will come to the conclusion that the only way to bring the Russians to the negotiating table is to help the Ukrainians," said a settlement specialist in an interview with Politico.
