A return of Donald Trump to the White House could have a “strong impact” on the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Tuesday, less than a year before the American presidential election.
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“If the policy of the next president, whoever he is, is different, colder or more frugal towards Ukraine, then I think these signals will have a very strong influence on the course of the war,” he explained during his major annual press conference .
Moments earlier, Mr. Zelensky estimated that Donald Trump had a “different personality” than Joe Biden and would therefore pursue “different policies.”
However, he hoped that the broad outlines of Washington's official policy and its support for Kiev would not change.
The American presidential election is scheduled for early November 2024 and many observers already see it as a key vote for Western support for Ukraine.
“Every leader has an influence on his society and on the actions of his government,” Volodymyr Zelensky further noted.
A possible decline in American aid could impact European Union aid, which “will certainly have an impact, and certainly not positive for Ukraine,” the president warned, at a time when Kiev is facing a loss of support from its allies fears.
“I have confidence that the United States will not betray us, that what we agreed to in the United States will be respected,” Mr. Zelensky assured.
The statements come days after his diplomatic trip aimed at persuading the United States and Europe to continue sending weapons and funding to Ukraine, which has been battling Russian invasion for nearly two years.
Although he has obtained from the Twenty-Seven the start of negotiations with a view to Ukraine's accession to the European Union, he has so far failed to convince the American Congress to vote in favor of a $61 billion extension for his country.
Ukraine's allies may insist that they will not disappoint Ukraine, but these signals are worrying for Kiev, especially after the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in June.