Let’s look at how Donald Trump is thinking about the war in Ukraine. Instead of trying to help Ukraine first, he seems more interested in making friends with Russia. This is a big meeting where Trump talks to Russian leaders but doesn’t include Ukraine, meaning they aren’t really the priority.
Trump even tries to blame Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the problems, which seems unfair. It’s strange that Trump started his campaign by making calls to Putin and already offering to give in to many of Russia’s demands about Ukraine before even having real discussions.
For example, Trump suggests that Ukraine should not join NATO and should not get back the land taken by Russia. He even wants Ukraine to have elections during wartime to change leaders, which fits with Russia’s goals. This would make it easier for Russia to control Ukraine.
A man named Kirill Dmitriev, an important Russian businessman, was also present at a meeting in Saudi Arabia. He suggested that Trump is good at fixing problems, but the main problem he wants to fix is how much money the U.S. lost from dealing with Russia because of the war.
When Trump talks about getting $500 billion from Ukraine for resources, it’s not about the exact number. It’s more about making a big claim. In fact, many American companies used to do business in Russia, but a lot have left since the war began.
While Trump negotiates, he talks about lifting economic sanctions on Russia, which he won’t do until there’s a final deal. But this focus seems to benefit Russia more than Ukraine, as he talks about reconnecting economically with Russia first.
While Trump is in Saudi Arabia, he’s pressuring Ukraine to give away a large part of its resources for U.S. military aid, which is something normally forced on defeated countries.
During a press conference, Trump even mocked Zelenskiy saying he should have elections, accusing him of causing the war, even though that’s just not true.
Trump and his supporters seem to see Russia as allies against liberal ideas, while Ukraine is seen as part of a bigger fight for democracy.
In the end, Trump may have a plan to help Ukraine, but right now, it looks like he is more focused on making deals that might hurt Ukraine. His actions make it seem like he sees strong nations as those worth negotiating with, while weaker ones can be taken advantage of.
