Experts have shared their expectations for the U.S. stance on the Ukraine war following Trump's inauguration.
In the past two weeks, the policy of newly elected President Donald Trump and his team has become significantly more realistic. Therefore, after Trump's inauguration on January 20, a more reasonable stance on the war should be expected. Ending it within 24 hours is only possible through one means – the capitulation of Kyiv. It is a relief that the Trump administration no longer brings this up. This opinion was expressed by Alexander Kraev, an expert from the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, to a journalist from UNN.
He noted that statements about negotiations within 24 hours with Putin and Zelensky have become less frequent.
"We are already seeing what (Donald Trump's special representative in Ukraine) Kellogg mentioned. He said that within 100 days he expects to achieve certain results. He didn't say that he would conduct negotiations within 100 days or that the goal was set to do so. He mentioned that it would be possible to discuss some preliminary results within 100 days. The same applies to Trump. He didn't say he could finish everything in six months. He stated that within six months, one could expect some beginning of negotiations in this context," Kraev explained.
According to the expert, after Trump's inauguration today, January 20, a more realistic and adequate position should be anticipated.
He also commented on the situation regarding military aid from the U.S.
"When we talk about the supply of weapons, the situation here is somewhat better, particularly in the context that just a week and a half ago, Trump clearly stated that weapons must continue to flow into Ukraine because if they do not, negotiations will not happen. This is a realistic position. Because if there are no weapons, Russia will not come to the negotiating table," Kraev asserted.
The expert emphasized that for Ukraine, it is also a positive signal that Trump understands that Kyiv will fulfill its part of the work.
Additionally, Kraev commented on the risk that Trump might revoke permission to strike deep into Russia.
"This risk is minimal because his circle, his advisors have already stated that this permission should not be revoked. Mike Waltz (whom Trump intends to appoint as national security advisor) in his last interview, where he mentioned lowering the mobilization age, said that not only should the permission not be revoked, but it should be expanded, and new resources should be provided to Ukraine. Not just ATACMS; Ukraine should also receive Tomahawk missiles and American guidance satellites. So it seems to me that in this regard, the Trump administration has become a bit more realistic," Kraev explained.
Vladislav Faraponov, the founder of the Institute of American Studies, commenting for UNN on expectations after Trump's inauguration, stated that the Republican administration is more practical and pragmatic in its actions and rhetoric.
According to him, U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Ukraine, will now be predominantly determined by the Republican Party for at least the next two years until the midterm elections in 2026.
"This means that now Republicans will not have the opportunity to say that Democrats are obstructing them, or that they cannot pass something due to Democrats. Now they hold all the cards," Faraponov explained.
Faraponov also noted that in general, all decisions made at the executive level by the Biden administration could potentially be overturned by the Trump administration, but this does not apply to non-repayable aid.
Trump's and his team's statements on Ukraine
Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, stated that the administration of newly elected President Donald Trump intends to tighten sanctions against Russia. These may be part of a strategy to end the war in Ukraine.
Reuters reported that advisors to the elected President Trump now acknowledge that resolving the war in Ukraine will take months or even longer.
Prior to his election victory on November 5, Trump repeatedly claimed that he would reach an agreement between Ukraine and Russia on his very first day in office, if not sooner. However, by the end of October, he subtly changed his rhetoric, stating he could solve the war issue "very quickly."
Trump believes that without dialogue with Russia, an agreement on Ukraine is impossible. He plans to work on this in the coming months.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that his team is already preparing for a meeting with Trump after the inauguration.
Donald Trump's appointed special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, expressed confidence that Trump would be able to propose an acceptable solution to Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky "in the short term."
At the beginning of January, a planned visit by Keith Kellogg to Ukraine was postponed, which was scheduled before Donald Trump's inauguration.
On January 16, Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated that Ukraine anticipates its first official contacts with newly elected President Trump after his inauguration, hoping for additional opportunities to accelerate peace.