Trump sympathizes with Putin and deeply dislikes Zelensky, which will affect aid to Ukraine – The Hill

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump “demonstrates sympathy” toward Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin while “harboring deep disdain” for Volodymyr Zelensky.

This information reported according to an article in The Hill titled “How Trump 2.0 Will Change American Foreign Policy,” authored by retired U.S. Army Colonel Robert Hamilton, director of research in the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and Dan Perry, head of Europe at the Associated Press.

In their view, Trump’s attitude toward the Ukrainian president stems “in part from Zelensky’s refusal to be coerced by Trump during the scandal that led to Trump’s first impeachment” (likely referring to Trump’s demands for an investigation involving “Burisma”).

Due to this personal animosity, the columnists suggest, Trump may reduce aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelensky into negotiations with Russia, potentially signaling to Putin a green light for further conflicts.

Withholding aid from Ukraine could trigger a “political earthquake in Europe,” forcing the EU to make a difficult choice: either step in to fill the void left by the U.S., quickly strengthening its own defense and support mechanisms for Ukraine, or take a risk and allow Russian expansionism to “go unchecked.”

“Trump’s approach diverges sharply from the post-war consensus, in which the U.S. acted as a global stabilizer, using its power to promote democracy and security — even at the cost of financial and military sacrifices. Trump’s unpredictability and willingness to overturn established norms could trigger a wave of radical changes in key regions, potentially reshaping the global order as we know it,” the authors conclude.

Previously, a European politician and Finnish President reported that Trump intends to broker peace in Ukraine before his inauguration. Meanwhile, *The Washington Post* noted that Russian elites are betting on Trump’s return to the White House as an opportunity to undermine Western unity over Ukraine and reshape the global power map.