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At the end of December, Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed, in an interview with an American podcaster, that he “really counts” on the support of Donald Trump to help him regain the advantage against Russia. Support that Nicole Bacharan and Romuald Sciora, specialists in the United States, find hard to believe.
Will Volodymyr Zelensky succeed in convincing Donald Trump to make a new effort towards Ukraine? In an interview given to American podcaster Lex Fridman and broadcast at the end of December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was optimistic about his exchanges with the future American president. And very complimentary of him: “Trump and I will reach an agreement – and I am sure that he will be able to offer strong security guarantees with Europe – and then we will be able to talk to the Russians.”
It is not certain, however, that his recent meetings with Donald Trump are enough to assure him of the future full support of the United States after the inauguration of the new president on January 20: “We should not expect much of these interviews. Because Trump will do everything to expedite the Ukrainian file. He wants this war to stop at all costs and Putin will not be able to continue for much longer. La Dépêche du Midi Romuald Sciora, director of the United States Political and Geostrategic Observatory of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) and author of the book “L’Amérique exploded” (to be published in January 2025, ed. Armand Colin).
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War in Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky wants to agree on a peace plan with Donald Trump before speaking to Vladimir Putin
The Republican’s return to the White House makes Ukraine fear a drastic reduction in support from the United States. “We are in a very unfavorable position for the Ukrainians who have understood that their future will depend on Trump. And for the moment, the latter has not made a move in their favor,” analyzes Nicole Bacharan, historian specializing in United States and co-author of “The Secrets of the White House” (Poche editions). “It is almost certain – barring an unexpected turnaround – that the United States will stop financing the war in Ukraine,” says Romuald Sciora.
Trump “really cares” about the Nobel Peace Prize
Ukraine hopes to tip the American balance in its favor thanks to a weighty argument: its underground riches. The country is full of natural resources such as lithium (essential for the manufacture of electric car batteries, for example), iron and even oil. During Joe Biden’s term, Ukraine and the United States should have signed an alliance on extraction and processing. But the Ukrainian authorities postponed the signing twice. It could therefore be Donald Trump who would have the possibility of ratifying the agreement after his inauguration.
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War in Ukraine: “Trump can help us stop Putin”… Why Zelensky is banking on the American president to end the war
Not sure, however, that this argument is enough to convince the 47th President of the United States, even if the recent meetings of the two leaders have recently allowed them to establish more cordial relations. “Trump can be very nice, but remain inflexible. His objective above all remains to end things as quickly as possible, either by obtaining a peace agreement or a ceasefire, by the fall at the latest,” insists Romuald Sciora.
Only one prospect could change the opinion of the future American president, says Nicole Bacharan: that of obtaining the Nobel Peace Prize. “He really wants to get this distinction. So it could actually get him moving.”
If the discussions between the two leaders lead to a rapid end to the war between Ukraine and Russia, they could, on the other hand, force the Ukrainians to make concessions – particularly territorial – to Vladimir Putin. The two observers assure: “The cessation of hostilities will be to the detriment of Ukraine and Zelensky risks not having a say.”
