The biggest concern is Donald Trump’s declaration of military support for Ukraine, which has been fighting Russian invasion since February 2022. The former real estate mogul (and convicted felon) has repeatedly said that American taxpayers have no reason to pay their taxes. He said he had a simple plan to arm Ukraine and end the war. In practice, this consists in forcing Kiev to make concessions to Russia. In such a scenario, which also includes sanctions relief, Trump would effectively give the Kremlin time and resources to rebuild its military in preparation for new attacks. And maybe this time Ukraine will no longer be the only target.
That is why Volodymyr Zelensky was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his victory and praise his approach to international affairs based on the principle of “peace through strength.” Whether Zelensky himself believes this is irrelevant. What’s important is that the Ukrainian president understands that he needs to get to work as quickly as possible with the materials he has at his disposal. This means doing Trump a favor, whose approach is based on personal sympathy and hostility rather than reason. In addition to his praiseworthy post about X, Zelensky also spoke on the phone with Trump, which he later described as brilliant.
Perhaps Zelenskyy may win Trump over by virtue of their shared status as an outsider in a gathering of world leaders. Or can Trump and his people be persuaded that giving a Russian war criminal what he wants will make America look like a loser? Perhaps the lobbying of the American arms industry, a major beneficiary of the war, plays a role? These are some of the levers of influence that Ukraine has at its disposal. There is no guarantee it will work.
When Trump won his first presidential election in 2016, champagne corks were popping in the Russian Duma. Literally: the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a peerless figure in Russian politics, threw a banquet in his honor. The Kremlin believed that Donald Trump would be the man in the White House. Reality has become more complex. Although President Trump has professed his affection for President Vladimir Putin, he has not pursued a pro-Russian policy. Perhaps that’s why the atmosphere in Moscow became quieter this time. independent portal Biorstka On November 6, it was reported that President Putin privately congratulated President Trump through an unspecified acquaintance. Russian Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov and Dmitry Medvedev, as well as the speakers of both Russian houses of parliament, publicly offered their congratulations.
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Andrei Peretsev, medusa The correspondent, who is known to have many contacts with high-level Russian government officials, learned from them that the Kremlin still views Trump as “their peasant.” Clearly, Trump’s demeanor makes him more understandable than Democratic elites. In fact, despite President Putin jokingly declaring before the election that he would support Kamala Harris, the Kremlin did not support either candidate. What it pursues is polarization that will escalate into protests and riots and undermine American democracy.
Putin finally publicly congratulated Trump at a meeting of the so-called Valdai Club. Asked after the three-hour meeting if he would be willing to meet with the U.S. president if he made such an offer, Putin said he was ready if Western leaders wanted to resume contacts with Russia. He took the opportunity to congratulate Trump. Earlier, when asked by journalists about the Russian president’s official congratulations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that there was no need for the United States because it is a country that Russia views unfriendlyly.
After the firewood chopping championships (in which he participated) held near Minsk on November 7, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka spoke extensively about Trump and his victory in the US presidential election. “Trump is a real strongman,” Lukashenka said. “No matter what I think about him, the guy is doing very well. I couldn’t believe he could win. There were shootings, pressure, people trying to put him in jail, but he got through it. And he did it.” “Even though he previously ran for president and failed, he is a good man in the sense that this is his personal achievement for the American people.”
Lukashenka also mentioned Trump’s pledge to end wars, including the war in Ukraine. “If he succeeds, we will apply for the Nobel Peace Prize and he will receive it,” the Belarusian leader said. “There is hope that he will keep his promise. But America is not Belarus. They may forget that. Or something.” Lukashenka added that ending the war in Ukraine does not depend solely on Trump. “He will try to end the war, but it will not be a one-sided process. He will have to bring others along, not just Russia. So many countries are concerned.” This was the thinking of the Belarusian dictator, who usurped the presidency of his country starting in 2020 and is currently preparing for another “election.” The deadline is late January 2025. His campaign slogan is “You Must!”
The official website of the Belarusian president reported that Lukashenko congratulated Trump on his victory the day after the US presidential election. The dictator wished the new US president good health and sound political decisions that would make America great again.
Following the 2016 Russian Parliament celebrations, champagne was poured at the 2024 Polish Parliament. Jaroslav Kaczynski’s right-wing populists, who lost power to a coalition led by Donald Tusk a year ago, could not contain their joy. This incident occurred overseas. Law and Justice (PiS) lawmakers clapped loudly and chanted the name of the new US president.
The party believes that Trump’s victory will provide political vitality ahead of next year’s presidential election, increasing the possibility of an early return to power. There is a fantasy within PiS that Trump will attend a pre-election rally, or even that a Trump victory might force the current government to resign. A political party that built its identity on resistance to the Brussels dictatorship has no limits in flaunting its submission to Washington.
So what kind of friend would Trump be? We plan to find out as early as next year at the earliest.
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