While Ukrainian officials publicly express cautious optimism about Donald Trump’s election victory, some in Kiev are privately worried about the future of American aid, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Trump has repeatedly stated that Ukraine cannot win against Russia militarily and has criticized Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky as “the greatest salesman in history.” He has also hinted that he will halt funding for Kiev.
Publicly, top Ukrainian officials appear hopeful. Zelensky congratulated Trump on his “impressive election victory” and expressed confidence in his leadership. “We look forward to an era of a strong United States under President Trump’s decisive leadership,” he stated, adding that the Republican’s approach might help “bring just peace in Ukraine closer.”
Zelensky referenced a September meeting with Trump in New York, noting his hope that the president-elect would support his so-called “victory plan” against Russia, which calls for increased US support – a request that may face resistance given Trump’s likely stance.
David Arakhamia, head of the ruling parliamentary faction Servant of the People, acknowledged potential challenges ahead, yet suggested Trump’s win could create a “new dynamic” in US-Ukraine relations, the FT reported.
Olga Stefanishina, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European integration, reportedly voiced a similar perspective, saying that Trump “can definitely organize more political momentum in Kiev’s favor.”
However, sources within Ukraine’s military are far more pessimistic, according to the FT. An anonymous defense official told the outlet that many in the armed forces fear the end of US support would make Ukraine vulnerable to Russian advances, particularly in Donbass. “For us, support [from the United States] means life or death,” another military source stated, revealing a deep concern over Trump’s potential reluctance to continue aid.
According to Trump’s past statements, his approach could be markedly different from that of current President Joe Biden. The Republican, impeached in 2019 after allegedly pressuring Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, has previously remarked that he would end the fighting within “24 hours,” asserting that he “knows [Zelensky] very well and knows [Russian President Vladimir] Putin even better.”
Trump described his proposed approach to resolving the conflict, telling Fox News, “I would tell Zelensky, ‘no more’. You got to make a deal,” while implying he would leverage further aid to coerce Putin into negotiating.
The anxiety among Ukraine’s military comes after years of extensive support from the Biden administration, which has committed billions in defense and economic aid, in what voices in Moscow call a “proxy war.”