2023-12-19 19:28:11
A return of Donald Trump to the White House could have a “strong impact” on the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Tuesday, less than a year before the American presidential election.
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“If the policy of the next president, whoever he is, is different towards Ukraine, colder, or more economical, then I think these signals will have a very strong impact on the course of the war” , he declared during his major annual press conference.
A few moments earlier, Mr. Zelensky estimated that Donald Trump had a “different personality” from Joe Biden and would therefore lead “a different policy”.
However, he hoped that the broad outlines of Washington’s official policy and its support for kyiv would not change.
The American presidential election is scheduled for early November 2024 and many observers already see it as a key vote for Western support for Ukraine.
“Every leader has an influence on his society and on the actions of his government,” noted Volodymyr Zelensky.
A possible drop in American aid could influence that of the European Union, which “will certainly have an impact and certainly not a positive one for Ukraine,” the president warned, at a time when Kiev fears the erosion of support of his allies.
“I have confidence that the United States will not betray us, that what we agreed to in the United States will be respected,” Mr. Zelensky assured.
These statements come a few days after his diplomatic tour aimed at convincing the United States and Europe to continue sending arms and financing to Ukraine, which has been fighting the Russian invasion for almost two years.
If he obtained from the Twenty-Seven the opening of negotiations with a view to Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, he has not yet succeeded in convincing the American Congress to vote for an extension of 61 billion dollars for his country.
Ukraine’s allies may insist that they will not let it down, but these signals are worrying for kyiv, especially after the failure of its Ukrainian counter-offensive launched in June.
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