The newly elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, will not support the initiatives of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This opinion was expressed by the advisor to the head of the President's Office, Mikhail Podolyak.
As he suggested during a broadcast on the channel "We are Ukraine", Trump will act based on reputational pragmatism. There is no reason for him to back Putin's initiatives, as that would mean the next U.S. leader would be playing second fiddle.
"If you support Putin's initiatives, it means you will be playing second. I can't imagine that at all... Given Mr. Trump's biography and the key points he always emphasizes, he certainly will not play second. Only first. Therefore, any initiative from Trump will look completely different than what the individual named Putin proposes," Mikhail Podolyak stated.
Trump Elected New U.S. President: Implications for Ukraine
Donald Trump won the presidential election in the U.S. held on November 5. Western media predict that he will fulfill his promise to achieve peace in Ukraine, but not on terms that are entirely acceptable for Ukraine. Various opinions have been expressed regarding what this entails – from significant territorial concessions to a 20-year withdrawal from NATO membership.
Media also speculated that Trump might reduce support for Ukraine. Against this backdrop, the high representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, stated that it is too early to make any hasty judgments about what the Trump administration will do. However, he reminded that on June 27, joint security commitments between Ukraine and the European Union were signed, and they remain in effect.