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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed strong support for Donald Trump on Wednesday, following the Republican candidate’s apparent victory in the U.S. presidential election. In a swift message, Zelenskyy conveyed his anticipation for a “strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership.”
The prompt response seemed aimed at quickly establishing connections with the incoming administration in Washington, amid ongoing uncertainties about the implications of a Trump presidency for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy just congratulated President Trump and is looking forward to Trump’s commitment of peace through strength.
America is looking forward to not wasting any more money on the Ukraine War. pic.twitter.com/fPRqhlm6Xp
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) November 6, 2024
Recent months have seen Ukraine facing increased territorial losses as Russian forces, better equipped and larger in number, advance along key areas of the eastern frontline, where some of the most intense fighting has occurred since the conflict began in February 2022.
Trump has been critical of the extent of U.S. support for Ukraine’s war efforts and has pledged to resolve the conflict before taking office in January, though he has not provided specifics on how he plans to achieve this.
Under the leadership of Democratic President Joe Biden, the United States has provided substantial military and financial aid to Ukraine, totaling tens of billions of dollars. However, Ukrainian officials have expressed frustration with restrictions placed on their use of Western weapons against targets deep within Russian territory.
In his statement, Zelenskyy said, “I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.”
Ukrainian political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko suggested that Trump would likely push for rapid negotiations to end the conflict. “He wants a quick result, and there is a risk that certain concessions could be made to Russia,” Fesenko told Reuters. “I don’t think that Trump would agree to peace only on Russia’s terms, as this would look like a defeat for the U.S., and his advisers understand this.”
Peace talks have been absent since the early stages of the conflict. Russian forces currently occupy about one-fifth of Ukraine, with Moscow insisting that the conflict can only end once its claimed annexations are recognized. Kyiv, on the other hand, demands the return of all its territory.
Fesenko also predicted that U.S. aid under Trump might shift from grants to a loan-based system. Meanwhile, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a lawmaker from the opposition Holos party, viewed the transition period until Trump’s inauguration in January as a potential “window of opportunity” for Biden to take “bold steps.”
Ukrainian officials and politicians have consistently urged Washington to allow the use of U.S. and other Western weapons against military targets within Russia to disrupt missile and drone attacks and broader offensive operations.
For us in Ukraine, and all across Europe, it has always been crucial to hear the words of the then 45th President of the United States about “peace through strength.”
When this principle becomes the policy of the 47th President, both America and the entire world will undoubtedly… pic.twitter.com/qVWkLLejwd
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 6, 2024
As election results were announced on Wednesday morning, Kyiv residents expressed eagerness to hear how Trump plans to stop the conflict. Oleksii Iarokha, 41, said, “I guess we are all waiting for just the only thing — just to stop the conflict and as Trump promised to stop the conflict in just one day, we are all waiting for it. We are waiting for this straight move: stop the conflict in just one day. It could be today, tomorrow, we can wait till Friday. You are the president, please do it, Mr. Trump.”
