Reports suggest the president-elect intends to pressure Ukraine to abandon its NATO aspirations.
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged his administration’s dedication to resolving the Ukraine conflict and preventing further violence.
Trump made this commitment at the America First Policy Institute gala held at his Mar-a-Lago estate. He stated, “We’re going to work in the Middle East, and we’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine.”
He emphasized the need to end the conflict, noting reports of “thousands of people… were killed” in recent days. He added, “They happen to be soldiers but whether they’re soldiers or they’re people sitting in towns, we’re going to work [on] it,” without providing specifics.
Prior to the election, Trump, a vocal critic of unwavering US support for Ukraine, promised a swift resolution to the conflict. While this pledge remains unrealized, media outlets report Trump is already revising US policy toward Ukraine.
A recent Wall Street Journal article proposed a peace plan that would require Ukraine to forgo NATO membership for at least two decades and solidify existing front lines in exchange for continued US military aid.
Furthermore, Trump has nominated several individuals critical of Ukrainian aid to key governmental roles, including Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. Senate confirmation is required for these appointments, and Republicans now control the Senate.
Moscow has expressed openness to dialogue but rejects a conflict freeze, maintaining that its military operation’s objectives—Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification—must be achieved.
President Vladimir Putin indicated Russia’s readiness for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations, contingent on Ukraine withdrawing troops from Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye—regions that voted to join Russia in 2022. Moscow also insists on Ukrainian troop withdrawal from the Kursk border region as a precondition for talks.