As Ukraine’s war against Russian invasion extends into its third year, the potential return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency raises serious questions about the future of American support for Kyiv.
Trump’s criticism of the Biden administration’s aid to Ukraine and his openness to “deal-making” with Russia suggest a dramatic shift from current U.S. policies, which have bolstered Ukraine’s defense with billions in military support.
Under President Biden, the U.S. has prioritized Ukraine’s defense with initiatives like the recent $2.4 billion Ukraine Security Assistance package, which includes air defense systems and unmanned aerial drones. This assistance aims to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities as the war grinds on. Yet Trump’s influence is complicating Kyiv’s calculus for the future.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has expressed skepticism over U.S. aid, suggesting instead that Ukraine might have been better off making concessions to Russia to avoid ongoing destruction.
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Kamala Harris has neglected hurricane victims and workers while sending over $400 million to Ukraine.
The mainstream media censored this. SHARE so all Americans see this! pic.twitter.com/EWqkizGmND
— Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 News (@DonaldTNews) October 31, 2024
Tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have also flared. Zelenskyy recently criticized Trump’s proposed solutions as “too radical” and impractical, suggesting that Trump “doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how.” In response, Trump fired back, calling Zelenskyy’s comments “nasty aspersions” and implying that a peace deal, even a poor one, would have spared Ukraine significant loss and ruin. “Any deal — the worst deal — would’ve been better than what we have now,” Trump argued.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has welcomed Trump’s views, calling them “sincere.” During a recent BRICS summit in Kazan, Putin noted that any peace initiative to end the conflict would require acknowledging Russian control of occupied Ukrainian territories.
🇷🇺 PUTIN: TRUMP WANTS TO STOP THE WAR IN UKRAINE – WE SUPPORT HIM
“I haven’t seen his ideas on how exactly he’s going to do that, and that is the key question.
I have no doubt that he says that sincerely, and we support that.”
Source: Russia Today pic.twitter.com/blY7fEb2l5
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 3, 2024
According to the *Wall Street Journal*, approximately one million Ukrainians and Russians have been killed or wounded since the conflict began. While Marina Miron of King’s College London has stated that Russia could potentially sustain the war for years, Ukraine faces urgent challenges as NATO and other allies navigate shortages in military supplies.
With Trump’s potential return to power, the stakes for Ukraine—and the international community’s response to Russian aggression—have become increasingly complex. Ukraine’s future defense now lies in the balance, dependent on a U.S. political landscape that could alter the course of the war.
