“I appreciate President Trump's commitment to the 'peace through strength' approach to world affairs. This is exactly the principle that can concretely bring Ukraine closer to a just peace,” Zelensky reacted, after the Republican claimed victory in the American presidential election this Wednesday morning.
Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that he can impose peace in Ukraine in “24 hours”, without ever explaining how, but by decrying the extent of the aid given to kyiv to resist the Russian invasion. He also made laudatory remarks about Vladimir Putin.
A complex relationship
Therefore, in Europe as in Ukraine, the fear is to see Donald Trump force Ukraine to negotiate with Russia under conditions very favorable to Moscow.
Zelensky, in this context, called on American Democrats and Republicans for “strong bipartisan support for Ukraine”.
He also recalled his meeting with Donald Trump in New York in September.
“I remember our wonderful meeting with President Trump in September, during which we discussed in detail the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States, the plan for victory and ways to end the “Russian aggression against Ukraine,” he wrote on X.
Zelensky and Trump have a complex relationship, also due to a US political scandal dating back to 2019.
Following the revelation of the contents of a telephone conversation between Trump, then President of the United States, and the Ukrainian leader, the tenant of the White House found himself accused of having put pressure on Ukraine to she opens a corruption investigation targeting the son of Joe Biden, her Democratic rival.
This case led to the impeachment trial against Trump, but he was ultimately acquitted by the US Senate.
Trump will be judged on “his actions”, according to the Kremlin
The Kremlin indicated this Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not plan to congratulate Donald Trump, who claimed his victory in the American presidential election, specifying that the latter would be judged on his “concrete actions”, in reference to the conflict in Ukraine triggered by Moscow in February 2022.
Russian-American relations are at their lowest point since Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, with the Kremlin reproaching the West for their support for their Ukrainian ally.
“It is virtually impossible for relations to deteriorate further. They are at their historic low. As for what happens, everything will depend on the American leadership,” added Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“We will see what happens in January,” he noted, referring to the inauguration of the next president of the United States. “We have repeatedly said that the United States is capable of bringing this conflict to an end. Of course, this cannot happen overnight.”
“But since the United States is fueling this conflict (…) and is directly involved in it, I think the United States can change the course of its foreign policy,” he concluded.
