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Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election was widely seen as a potential disaster for Ukraine and its war efforts against Russia.

Trump’s skepticism towards NATO and his apparent admiration for Vladimir Putin raised questions about whether he would maintain the level of support Joe Biden has so far given kyiv, with the new president indirectly suggesting he would negotiate a peace deal even before taking office in January.

But Trump’s victory does not necessarily mean an immediate end to US support for Ukraine, and Volodymyr Zelensky was one of the first to congratulate him on his victory, perhaps as a charm offensive to ensure the “stronger cooperation” he is hoping for.

It’s unclear how much Zelensky can count on Trump’s support to achieve Ukraine’s goal of fending off Russia, but some believe the new administration could be incentivized to maintain its support.

What did the commentators say?

Trump is “notoriously transactional” and so Zelensky is trying to “formulate proposals that encourage close cooperation” rather than “cutting off critical aid,” Christopher Miller, Max Seddon and Henry Foy said in the report. Financial Times. These proposals include sharing “critical natural resources” with the United States once the war ends, as well as replacing “some American troops stationed in Europe with Ukrainian forces.”

Zelensky is right to respond to Trump’s reelection with “mitigation and preparation” rather than “resignation or panic,” Eugene Finkel said in The spectatorand “doomsday scenarios” perhaps “overestimate” the full impact of the withdrawal of US support, although it is a “painful blow.”

Trump will likely be “sensitive” to the consequences of a complete Russian takeover of Ukraine, making “Kiev arming itself to cede territory” and “abandoning its bid for NATO membership” the most likely scenario that the next administration has in mind.

The president-elect has allies in Europe who also want to negotiate a “peace deal” to “end the war.” These include Hungarian President Viktor Orbán and Pope Francis, who is the “European leader closest to Mr Putin”, said The Independent. However, a peace deal will almost certainly involve ceding territory to Moscow, something “all other Western NATO allies oppose.”

It’s also a scenario that kyiv cannot accept, but local officials are still “cautiously optimistic” about their ability to win Trump’s round, Joshua Keating told a news conference. Voice. Not only because they believe they can appeal to his “business instincts”, but also because he has shown signs of support for Ukraine in the past, approving the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles in 2019 and by giving his “blessing” to the “Congress”. allies” to support a new aid package earlier this year.

Moreover, kyiv hopes that Trump’s support will allow it to take off the gloves and ease the frustration of the Biden administration, which has restricted the use of some long-range weapons on Russian territory for fear of a escalation.

And then?

If Trump’s goal is to expedite a ceasefire, “the key unknown remains Mr. Putin and what he would agree to,” as well as whether a deal would be enforceable in the long term, declared The economist. The Russian president has also given “mixed signals” about his “willingness to negotiate,” which will make Trump’s path to a peace deal even more difficult.

However, if he manages to end the war with “acceptable conditions for the Ukrainians”, Trump will be able to “boast that he achieved something that Biden could not achieve”, Max Boot said in The Washington Post. It remains a gamble, however, and if “Ukraine loses the war and its independence while he is in power,” it will be “a stain on his presidency.”