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.
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. In this context, Volodymyr Zelensky called on American Democrats and Republicans for “strong bipartisan support for Ukraine”.
“Strengthening our strategic partnership”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal also congratulated the new American president, looking forward to “an era where the United States will be strong” under the leadership of Donald Trump. “We hope to strengthen our strategic partnership,” he continued, while also pleading for a “just peace”. Volodymyr Zelensky recalled his “tremendous” meeting with Donald Trump in New York in September, during which they “discussed in detail the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States, the victory plan and ways to implement an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The head of the Ukrainian presidential cabinet, Andriï Iermak, on Wednesday described this September meeting as “productive”. “It is essential that Ukraine enjoys bipartisan support in the United States,” he also insisted on Telegram. Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump have a complex relationship, also due to an American political scandal dating back to 2019.
