Donald Trump’s latest phone call with Vladimir Putin has deepened worries in Ukraine, with many people feeling left behind and unsure about the future of their country. Among them is Olena Litovchenko, a Kyiv citizen who, for the first time ever, is considering fleeing her home. “It is like Ukraine is being betrayed,” she said, dreading a possible Ukrainian loss after Trump’s statement.
The Trump-Putin dialogue, topped by Trump’s press conference, has destroyed hopes remaining that the new American administration would firmly support Ukraine. Rather than reasserting US support, Trump challenged Ukraine’s status as an equal at the negotiating table and suggested Russia may have a legitimate claim to seized territories. Trump also belittled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s popularity and proposed to retake US aid distributed to Ukraine.
Oleh Pavlyuk, in an article for Evropeiska Pravda, characterized Trump’s position as a “cold shower” for Ukraine, contending that it goes against fundamental US foreign policy principles ensuring coordination with Kyiv prior to engaging Moscow and permitting Ukraine to chart its own course to peace.
In the streets of Kyiv, frustration and fear are palpable. IT employee Oleksii was indignant about the implication of Trump’s words, saying they promise to mean an endless war without solution. Serhii, who is on leave from serving in the frontlines, did not believe that Trump could get Ukraine a good bargain, and was dismissive, calling him “Putin’s doormat.”
Zelenskyy, seeking to preserve diplomatic relations, called Trump’s comments “unpleasant” but noted that his subsequent call with the American president had been “very good.” As he travels to the Munich Security Conference for talks with US and European officials, Ukraine eagerly awaits what’s next. In the uncertainty, some still hold on to hope that Trump’s volatility will ultimately prove beneficial.
