Complexity of negotiating with Putin may benefit Kyiv with US defence and security appointments critical

Ukrainian politicians are expressing tentative hopes that the return of Donald Trump to the White House will not necessarily lead to a rapid and humiliating forced peace.

An initial 25 minute post-election call on Wednesday, during which the president-elect handed the phone to Elon Musk, is said to have been positive in tone – and no specifics of any peace proposals discussed.

Though Trump promised to “stop wars” in his first speech after his victory over Kamala Harris became apparent last week, there are no settled outlines of a peace plan yet, giving Kyiv breathing space to press its own case.

Oleksiy Goncharenko, an opposition Ukrainian MP, said: “I don’t think that Trump’s victory is a catastrophe. Ukraine is now his business and if negotiations lead to a disaster, it will be his, like Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. This is a person who loves to win.”
Trump is not known to have spoken since his election victory to Vladimir Putin and Ukrainians emphasise the complexity of negotiating with the Russian president who may, they hope, overplay his hand with maximalist demands or irritate the notoriously prickly American leader.

“At some point, Trump has to present a plan to Putin and we will see if Putin wants to stick to it. From that moment there is a new reality,” Goncharenko said. “In the meantime, we have to work with the US and with US public opinion.”