Trump may try to "reset" relations with Putin if he wins the election: TIME assesses threats to Ukraine

The Ukrainian government foresees difficult times if Donald Trump is elected president of the United States. It is believed that Trump may reduce military aid to Ukraine and push Kyiv to a peace deal in favor of Russia.

However, Kyiv is growing confident that Trump will eventually realize the error of his attempts to please Russia. This is reported by Time, citing confidential interviews with Ukrainian officials.

According to the publication, officials in Kyiv have spent months thinking about the possible consequences of Donald Trump's victory for Ukraine's war with Russia. Many have concluded that his favoring of autocrats such as Vladimir Putin and his "transactional" approach to foreign policy could be a disaster for Ukraine. However, as TIME notes, "not all the predictions are as dire as one might expect."

One Ukrainian official told the publication on condition of anonymity that if the Republican candidate wins, "the first eight or ten months, that is, the whole of 2025, will be very difficult."

"Trump is likely to cut aid to Ukraine and push Zelenskyy to sign a peace deal that will be heavily skewed in favor of Russia. Like previous US presidents, Trump may also seek to reset relations with Vladimir Putin at the beginning of his term. However, over time, he will see that Putin cannot be trusted," the official suggested.

The source also suggested that the new US president will eventually realize "that Putin doesn't care about him and his agenda" and "that's when we can start to see some benefits from Trump because he won't want Putin to play with him."

TIME notes that in trying to convince Trump and his future Vice President J.D. Vance, Ukrainians are also counting on the help of European allies and the American military-industrial complex, which can make significant profits from the continued production of weapons for the Ukrainian armed forces.

"They can explain to Trump why this is beneficial to many people in America, especially in the red states. It creates jobs and supports the economy," the Ukrainian official said.

In recent months, as Trump's poll ratings have risen, Zelenskyy and his team have been actively strengthening ties with their allies in Congress and others close to the Trump campaign.

However, given the uncertainty of the US presidential race, some of Zelenskyy's close associates prefer to avoid direct contact with both campaigns, as the risks of supporting the wrong candidate are too high.

Earlier, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that US presidential candidate Donald Trump could help end the war in Ukraine. Because he realizes that defeat could have consequences for America and the world.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, in late June, Donald Trump's national security advisers suggested that if he won the presidential election, he should "force Ukraine to negotiate peace" with Russia. Later, Russian dictator Putin announced his "peace plan," and in response, the former US leader called it unacceptable and promised to end the war, probably "through negotiations between the parties."

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