World leaders have been rushing to get on Donald Trump\u2019s good side since his reelection as US president, arguably none more so than Ukraine. <\/p>\n
In his annual New Year address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had \u201cno doubt that the new American president is willing and capable of achieving peace and ending Putin\u2019s aggression,\u201d in comments that embody his approach to winning over Trump. <\/p>\n
Just days later, Zelensky told an American podcaster that Trump won as he was a \u201cmuch stronger\u201d candidate than Kamala Harris, adding, \u201cHe showed that he can do it intellectually and physically.\u201d <\/p>\n
Zelensky isn\u2019t alone among prominent Ukrainians in trying to butter up Trump. In November, a Ukrainian MP from Zelensky\u2019s party even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize, according to a letter seen by the Kyiv Independent. <\/p>\n
Such tactics have long been favored by foreign powers. Think of how China took Trump to the Forbidden City or the UK government enlisted the royals during his last term in the White House. <\/p>\n
Years on, the stakes could not be higher for Ukraine. Kyiv enters 2025 on the backfoot in its war against Russia, with Ukrainian forces struggling to hold back Russian advances in the east, where they are vastly outnumbered. Its chances of retaking occupied Russian territory anytime soon look increasingly slim. <\/p>\n
Under outgoing President Biden, the US became the single largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine and Kyiv remains keenly aware that it needs to stay on Trump\u2019s side to secure future support. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe must at least try to get him on Ukraine\u2019s side in order to secure the best possible outcome for Ukraine, which depends enormously on American support.\u201d <\/p>\n
Trump has repeatedly stressed the need to end Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, suggesting that negotiations could be on the horizon. His envoy\u2019s plan to end the war contains much that will please the Kremlin. <\/p>\n
Zelensky has said he wants to \u201cwork directly\u201d with the new president and appears more willing to \u2013 or perhaps has no choice but to \u2013 make battlefield concessions. <\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, Ukraine would want to recapture all land it lost. However, after three years of this exhausting war, recapturing all land is nowhere in sight. With a heavy heart, Ukrainians are slowly coming to accept this,\u201d Hosa said. <\/p>\n
Zelensky has frequently described Trump as strong, an apparent effort to appeal to a president-elect who has made \u201cpeace through strength\u201d a rallying call. <\/p>\n
\u201cTrump could be crucial. I think this is the most important thing for us. His qualities are like that. He can be decisive in this war. He can stop Putin,\u201d Zelensky told United News, Ukraine\u2019s wartime TV network, earlier this month. <\/p>\n
Another factor is that unlike previous US administrations, Trump fundamentally believes he can have good relations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He has long expressed his admiration for Putin while other world leaders have shunned him and has pledged to meet with him \u201cvery quickly\u201d after he takes office. <\/p>\n
For his part, Putin \u2013 who was condemned as a \u201cbutcher\u201d by Biden \u2013 seems open to building ties with Trump. Following Trump\u2019s election win, Putin offered his congratulations, calling him a \u201ccourageous man.\u201d During his year-end news conference in December, he said he was ready to meet with him. <\/p>\n
Lutsevych believes that the Ukrainian government is trying to present Kyiv\u2019s defeat over Moscow as something that would strengthen America\u2019s \u201cpower projection\u201d on the world stage. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the game; whether Trump will believe this is a viable strategy is another question,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
And Zelensky has offered other benefits. In October last year, he pitched the idea of swapping out some US forces based in Europe with Ukrainian troops once Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine is over. He argued that the wartime experience of Kyiv\u2019s forces could be put to good use, bolstering NATO \u2013 the military alliance which Ukraine has been offered assurances it will join \u2013 and helping to ensure security in Europe, something that is likely to appeal to a US leader who has demanded Europe do more on defense. <\/p>\n
Zelensky has also appealed to Trump\u2019s business-focused mind. His so-called \u2018Victory Plan,\u2019 unveiled in October last year, includes a significant deal with the US on minerals \u2013 a critical resource Ukraine is rich in. <\/p>\n
According to a report in the New York Times, the signing of the minerals deal was pushed back twice, with the possible motive of allowing Trump to take credit for it when he takes office. <\/p>\n
Lutsevych posited that Kyiv would be making a lucrative offer to the US, in economic terms. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen that in this \u2018Victory Plan,\u2019 that it includes critical minerals, it includes investments\u2026 [Ukraine is] basically trying to say that it can be profitable for America.\u201d <\/p>\n
But while flattering Trump is a common tactic, his unpredictability means there are few guarantees it will work. <\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s welcome by then-British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, back in 2019 did not stop him from firing off a series of angry tweets moments before stepping off his plane, describing London Mayor Sadiq Khan as a \u201cstone cold loser.\u201d He then labeled then-British Prime Minister Theresa May as \u201cfoolish.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hosa believes there is evidence Zelensky\u2019s approach is paying off, with Trump acknowledging it would take longer than 24 hours to end the conflict \u2013 a claim he made in July 2024 \u2013 in a sign of his shifting attitude. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe [Zelensky] faced a choice: flatter Trump or be forced to capitulate to Putin,\u201d Hosa said. <\/p>\n
\u201cFlattery is a small price to pay for a better outcome than that.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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