Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and Donald Trump. Trump Tower in New York City, September 27, 2024 Photo: Reuters
Since his election as US president, world leaders have been trying to win over Donald Trump. But none have come close to Ukraine in this race.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his New Year’s address that “[I] have no doubt about the ability and desire of the new US president to end Putin’s aggression and achieve peace.” The comments underscored Zelensky’s determination to win over Trump.
A few days later, Zelensky told a US podcaster that Trump was “much stronger” than Kamala Harris, which is why he won. He also said that Trump had shown that he could do it both intellectually and physically.
Zelensky is not alone among prominent Ukrainian figures who have been flattering Trump. Last November, a member of parliament from Zelensky’s party nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The letter was seen by reporters from the Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Independent.
Flattery of Trump is not a new tactic for Ukraine. In a 2019 CNN article, Zelensky called Trump a “great teacher.” At the time, Trump, who was in his first term, was calling for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will mark three years in February. Ukraine’s misery cannot continue like this. Ukraine is cornered in a war with Russia in 2025. Ukrainian troops are struggling to stop Russian advances in the east, where Russia has far outnumbered Ukraine. The prospect of Russia’s sudden recovery from Russian-occupied territories is also diminishing.
The United States was the single largest military aid provider to Ukraine under outgoing President Joe Biden, and Kiev is well aware that it will need to win Trump’s favor to secure future U.S. aid.
Russian soldiers fire a D-30 howitzer in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, January 11, 2025. Photo: Reuters
‘Peace through strength’
‘Unfortunately, Zelensky does not have the capacity to be hostile to Trump. He will try to get Trump on the side of Ukraine for the best possible outcome for Ukraine. [The best possible outcome for Ukraine] depends largely on American support.’
Trump has repeatedly stressed the need to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. He has also indicated that talks to end the war are not far off. It is believed that the Trump envoy’s plan to end the war in Ukraine will go to the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has said that he wants to “work directly” with the new president. His attitude suggests that he wants more concessions on the war, or that he has no choice but to do so.
“Of course, Ukraine will want to regain all the territory it lost,” says Joanna Hossa. “But after three years of devastating war, it seems that it is not possible to regain all the territory at once. The Ukrainian people are accepting this with a heavy heart.”
Zelensky has repeatedly referred to Trump as strong recently. There is a certain appeal in describing him in this way. Trump, on the other hand, is known for achieving “peace through strength.”
Orisia Lutsevich, deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the London-based think tank Chatham House, believes that Zelensky’s continued Trump-worship can be taken seriously in a broader sense. “I think he [Zelensky] really thinks that Trump can take strong action. And there is hope from this [idea]. “Not just in Zelensky’s mind, but in a broader sense, the whole of Ukraine [sees this hope].”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. At the US air base in Ramstein, southwest Germany, on September 6, 2024. Photo: AFP
Common interests
Outgoing US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a hostile relationship. Biden denounced Putin as a “butcher”. But Trump firmly believes that he has a good relationship with Putin. Trump has long praised Putin, even though other world leaders have avoided him. Trump has announced that he will meet with Putin “very soon” after taking office.
On the surface, it seems that Putin has no problem establishing a relationship with Trump. After winning the election, Putin sent a congratulatory message to Trump. He described him as a “brave man”. At his end-of-year press conference in December, Putin said that he was ready to meet with Trump.
But even if Russia returns to the negotiating table, it is not possible to trust Russia. CNN’s chief international security correspondent Nick Patton Walsh said Russia’s previous promises to bring peace to Ukraine were deceptive, so any potential ceasefire seems likely to be only nominal.
Orisia Lutsevich believes that the Ukrainian government is trying to portray Kiev’s defeat by Moscow as something that will not strengthen “American power” on the world stage.
But the Chatham House expert said, “[Ukraine’s efforts] are a kind of game, whether Trump sees it as an effective strategy or not is another question.”
Zelensky has also offered the United States other temptations. In October last year, he raised the idea of exchanging Ukrainian troops for some of the US troops in Europe once the war with Russia ends. He argued that the experience of Ukrainian soldiers in the war could be put to good use, strengthening NATO and helping ensure European security. Zelensky’s proposal could be tempting for Trump. Because he has long been calling on European countries to be more proactive about their own security, Zelensky’s proposal could help in this regard.
The Ukrainian soldier had fled his unit. But he returned after an amnesty was announced. In the city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, January 18, 2025 Photo: Reuters
Zelensky has also tried to tempt Trump’s business mind. In October last year, Zelensky unveiled the so-called ‘Victory Plan’. This plan calls for a major mineral deal with the United States. Ukraine is a major source of important minerals.
A New York Times report said that the mineral deal between Washington and Kiev has been postponed twice so far. It is believed that this was done so that Trump can take credit for the deal after taking power.
In addition, Kiev could make an offer that could be quite attractive to Washington in economic terms, says Orisya Lutsevich. He said, ‘We saw the potential for important minerals and investment in this Victory Plan. … [Ukraine] is basically saying, ‘This will be profitable for America.’
Joanna Hossa, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, believes Zelensky’s strategy is working. Trump has already admitted that resolving the Ukraine crisis will take more than 24 hours. This is a sign of a change in his approach. In July 2024, Trump announced that he would resolve the Ukraine crisis within 24 hours of taking office.
Joanna Hossa said, “He [Zelensky] now faces two options: he may have to flatter Trump, or he may be forced to surrender to Putin. But flattery is not so bad for a better outcome [than surrender].”
