What Trump’s victory means for two and a half years of Russia-Ukraine war

With Donald Trump coming back to power after winning the US presidential election on Wednesday (Nov. 6), Washington's support for Kyiv comes into questionas to how Trump’s presidency would affect the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

After Trump’s victory, Ukraine may soon have to adjust to a dramatic reduction in US support that could have a major impact on its war with Russia.

In his campaign, the Republican presidential candidate has been casting doubts on the US commitment to Ukraine.

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Moreover, according to Trump’s statements, the US could pressure Ukraine into an uneasy truce with Russia.

President Joe Biden’s administration has provided tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, in terms of weapons and budget assistance. The administration also plans to continue to provide aid to Kyiv before Trump takes office.

Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly backed Putin and has been criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

During his campaigns and rallies, Trump claimed that the Russia-Ukraine war would not have started if he had been president. He had also vowed to end the war, sometimes also claiming that he would stop the years-long conflict before taking office.

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However, Zelensky congratulated Trump on his electoral win on Wednesday, saying that he appreciates Trump’s commitment to “peace through strength.”

“We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States,” Zelensky wrote. “We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations.”

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not planning to call Trump to congratulate him on his win. “I am not aware of the president’s plans to congratulate Trump on the election,” Peskov said. He further called the US an “unfriendly country”.

(With inputs from agencies)