Ukrainian president says war "will end faster" with Trump in White House
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said Russia’s war in Ukraine “will end faster” when Donald Trump takes over as US president.
Speaking in a radio interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, Zelensky admitted to a difficult situation on the battlefield, where Russia has been pressing its advantages in manpower and weaponry.
He said the war “will end faster with the policy of this team that will now lead the White House,” referring to the incoming Trump administration.
“This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them,” he added.
Zelensky stressed that, on Ukraine’s part, “We must do everything to ensure that the war ends next year through diplomatic means.”
Remember: Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Ukraine-Russia war would not have started if he had been president. In July, he said he could settle the war in one day — without saying how he would do so. The president-elect has also cast doubt on continued US commitment to Kyiv, and made comments that suggest the US could pressure Ukraine into an uneasy truce with Russia.
On the battlefield: Russia is making gains at key spots along the front lines of eastern and southeastern Ukraine, while unleashing wave after wave of aerial terror against Ukrainian cities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy still appears to be slowly grinding Ukraine down. But a number of analysts have said Putin has a limited window of opportunity to achieve this goal, given the staggering losses Russia is suffering to make even the smallest advances.
The strain the conflict is putting on Russia’s economy is clearly growing. Inflation is running high, and companies are facing labor shortages. And while Russia has many more people than Ukraine, it is undergoing significant losses and recruitment of new troops is already a problem.
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