“President Zelenskyy has performed it extraordinarily effectively,” Volker noticed. “By aligning himself with what President Trump desires, he’s made it clear that the issue is just not Ukraine. The issue is Putin.”
The subsequent weeks will likely be essential for Kyiv and for Moscow.
“I feel Trump goes to name Putin and inform him to finish the warfare. I feel Putin is not going to agree … and I feel the Trump crew will perceive they’ve to indicate power. Present extra resolve. And put all of it on the desk,” Volker mentioned.
That would imply harsher sanctions, considerably rising U.S. power exports to starve Putin’s warfare finances, and continued navy assist for Ukraine. “Not taxpayer cash, however there are numerous methods to do that, together with a lend-lease program, together with by Europe seizing the €300 billion in Russian property and utilizing that cash to purchase U.S. protection gear,” Volker mentioned. “That may ship a sign to Putin: This isn’t going to get higher.”
Ukraine’s two bubbles
Zoya Lytvyn, head of the International Authorities Know-how Centre in Kyiv, mentioned Ukrainian opinion on Trump is break up between two bubbles. The primary incorporates those that lionize Western values, align with the U.S. Democratic Get together — and are “afraid of Trump and [Vice President] JD Vance.”
In the meantime, “these within the second bubble are saying we have already got seen all the things that Biden might do, and the extent of assist he might present, and it was not sufficient.” Trump, at the least, “has sufficient energy to convey stabilization.”
