KYIV, Jan 3: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has labeled US President-elect Donald Trump as “strong and unpredictable,” suggesting that these traits could significantly influence his policy decisions regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite this optimism, Zelenskyy noted that it would not be feasible to conclude the nearly three-year conflict in a single day, a claim Trump made during his election campaign.
“The active phase of the war could potentially end swiftly if Trump maintains a firm stance,” Zelenskyy stated in a recent interview with Ukrainian television, referring to the ongoing combat.
“I believe that (Trump) is indeed strong and unpredictable. I hope that his unpredictability will be aimed primarily at the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy added.
As Trump prepares to take office on January 20, he has yet to clarify his stance on Ukraine publicly. However, his past remarks have raised concerns about whether the United States will continue to be Ukraine’s primary military ally.
Determined to secure ongoing support from Washington, Zelenskyy had previously met with Trump in New York before the November election.
With the war nearing its fourth anniversary next month and Trump set to assume power, the timing and resolution of Europe’s largest conflict since World War II are becoming increasingly pressing issues.
Currently, Russia occupies approximately one-fifth of Ukraine, having capitalized on vulnerabilities in Ukrainian defenses to gradually advance in eastern regions, despite incurring significant troop and equipment losses. The situation remains challenging for Ukraine, which is facing personnel shortages on the front lines and relies heavily on continued assistance from Western allies.
Zelenskyy mentioned that Trump reacted positively to French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal regarding the deployment of Western peacekeepers in Ukraine to help supervise a ceasefire agreement. Zelenskyy recently met with both Trump and Macron in Paris.
“However, I raised concerns, asking which specific countries will participate in this initiative and whether the US will be involved,” Zelenskyy noted.
The Ukrainian president is resolute about his country’s ambition to join NATO. While the alliance’s 32 member nations agree that Ukraine will be welcomed eventually, they emphasize that this will not happen until after the conflict concludes.
“The presence of European troops in Ukraine for peacekeeping purposes should not preclude our future membership in NATO,” Zelenskyy underscored during the interview.
He described the Ukrainian military’s operations into Russia’s Kursk region as a “significant bargaining chip” for any future peace talks.
Despite attempts to bolster morale amid bleak news from the front, Ukraine’s forces advanced into Kursk last August, marking the first occupation of Russian soil since World War II.
However, analysts suggest that this incursion did not substantially alter the conflict’s dynamics, with Ukraine reportedly losing around 40% of the territory it initially captured.
Nevertheless, Zelenskyy affirmed that this development has impressed nations across Asia, South America, and Africa, adversely affecting Russia’s military image. (AP)
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