Trump’s return to power in the US could mean ‘abandonment of Ukraine’ – The New York Times

The return of Donald Trump to power in the United States could signify a “rejection of Ukraine.”

This is reported by The New York Times.

“The first area where a potential return of Trump to the White House in 2025 could provoke a foreign policy crisis is regarding Ukraine and the alliance of Western democracies that support its defense against Russian invasion,” the newspaper writes.

For Europeans, this would be the “first major litmus test” to gauge how reliable an ally Trump would become in his second term.

Trump would have “tremendous influence over the government of Ukraine,” and his current allies in Congress are against further military aid to Kyiv.

Even if Congress eventually allocates additional aid, “Trump might deny its provision – as he did in 2019 when he attempted to pressure Zelensky into announcing a criminal investigation against Biden,” NYT writes.

Against this backdrop, the current Russian strategy in combat operations is cautious.

“According to officials, he (Putin) carries out attacks only when he sees opportunities, and he engages Ukrainian forces but does not take steps to change the paradigm or engage in negotiations… Putin has calculated that he might be in a much better position after the 2024 U.S. elections,” the publication states.