Optimism has increased following the news that President-elect Donald Trump decided to name Congressman Michael Walz as his national security adviser and plans to nominate Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State.
According to Politico, both politicians are committed to the concept of “America First,” but in international affairs they take a tough stance toward countries like China, Iran and Russia.
Although Rubio and Walz had not previously supported some aid packages to Ukraine, their motivation was not a reluctance to provide support, but rather a priority for US domestic concerns. In particular, Walz proposed giving Ukraine the opportunity to use long-range American weapons to attack Russian territory, but the Biden administration abandoned this idea.
Expert Daniel Vaidich expressed confidence that kyiv took these appointments positively and there is no need to overdramatize the situation. Several former Trump administration officials have expressed similar views, arguing that the new American leadership will strive to find a balanced solution to the Ukraine issue while protecting American interests.
The Trump administration’s plans include toughening sanctions on the Russian energy sector, which is a major source of funding for the Russian military. Walz, in particular, emphasized the need to close loopholes that allow Russia to export oil, reaffirming the tough approach Trump took during his first term.
Some members of the Ukrainian political elite believe that the appointment of Rubio and Walz may signal continued support for Ukraine, although they also understand that obtaining significant amounts of aid from the United States will not be easy. Verkhovna Rada deputy Irina Gerashchenko noted that Marco Rubio has repeatedly spoken publicly in support of Ukraine.
Trump claims he can end the war in Ukraine in just one day, but has not yet revealed specific plans to do so. The announcement raises alarm among European allies, who fear that the United States could pressure Europe to make more commitments to support Ukraine. President of the kyiv School of Economics and former Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Timofey Milovanov, believes that the new administration can put Ukraine in conditions where it will be forced to make certain concessions to achieve peace.
At the same time, there are still advisers around Trump who are skeptical about support for Ukraine. Thus, Donald Trump Jr. recently spoke sarcastically about Ukraine, hinting at a possible reduction in aid.
Some Ukrainian and NATO officials fear that Trump’s proposed peace deal could only temporarily freeze the conflict, leaving Russia open to future aggressive actions. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhy noted that Ukrainian warnings were often ignored and later confirmed to be correct.
Previously, Kursor reported that Putin responded to ultimatums from the West after Trump’s victory.
