“Trump Will Come and Sort Everything Out”
This slogan was frequently heard before and during the current presidential campaign in the United States. It is worth noting that a similar phrase was used during the previous presidential election, although at that time, people said, “Under Biden, Order and Resolve Will Prevail” The kind of order Biden brought is well known to everyone. It was precisely for this “order” that Donald Trump and his Republican Party opponents criticised him.
During Joe Biden’s presidency, Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, violating all existing norms of international law and undermining the current global security system. The United Nations lost its influence on global political processes, and the United States forfeited its position as a global leader.
One of Donald Trump’s key campaign slogans was, “Make America Great Again,” and he also promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. However, once Donald Trump officially assumed office as President of the United States, his actions did not align with his words. Furthermore, his provocative statements regarding Greenland, Canada, and the Gaza Strip sparked considerable global controversy. His policy on Ukraine remains ambiguous. Instead of clearly declaring his position and increasing U.S. assistance to Ukraine in its war against Russia, Trump began engaging in backroom negotiations with Putin.His claim that Ukraine should repay the United States for military aid with natural resources was met with harsh criticism from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. Presently, Donald Trump behaves less like the leader of a great nation and more like a businessman unfamiliar with the nuances of global politics. As a businessman, he should understand the value of reputation. In the business world, breaking promises and failing to honour commitments often leads to a loss of trust, which can ultimately result in bankruptcy. The same principles apply to politics, but the consequences can be far more severe and tragic.
Trump has already failed to fulfil his promise to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. His words turned out to be empty declarations, undermining trust in him as both the President of the United States and a global political leader. Moreover, under the Budapest Memorandum, the United States, along with Russia, guaranteed Ukraine’s security in exchange for its renunciation of the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a blatant violation of its commitments. As for the United States, it, too, has not fully met its obligations under the Budapest Memorandum to guarantee Ukraine’s security.
Despite Trump’s grandiose statements, his return to power in Washington has done little to alter Putin’s behaviour. The Russian President continues his aggressive war against Ukraine, while Trump’s secretive negotiations with Putin regarding Ukraine’s fate, without Ukrainian involvement, undermine trust not only in Trump himself but also in the United States as a whole. Under these circumstances, Ukraine is compelled to seek more reliable and consistent allies than the United States.
It is evident that natural allies for Ukraine are the countries of Europe. Should Ukraine lose the war against Russia, any of these countries could become the next target of Russian aggression. If Donald Trump continues his current policy and keeps appeasing Russia, he will certainly fail to make America great again. On the contrary, he may weaken it even further than it was under Biden and the Democrats.
Additionally, Trump’s flamboyant behaviour on the international stage and the loss of U.S. leadership in global affairs may prompt European countries to reconsider their participation in NATO and push them towards creating their own regional security forces. It is clear that all EU countries should be interested in forming such a defence alliance, especially those bordering an aggressive and unpredictable Russia.
In such a scenario, Ukraine would be a natural and desirable member of a European defence union, as its battle-hardened Armed Forces could significantly enhance the alliance’s defensive capabilities. Moreover, Ukraine’s membership would provide Europe with a reliable shield against any aggressor, restoring the continent’s security and bolstering its influence on the global stage.
Oleh Bereziuk
Institute for Global Politics
Institute for Global Politics
