Trump is interested in putting pressure on Russia - foreign policy expert

He said this on the Espreso TV channel.

‘Michael Waltz, who may become Trump's national security adviser, is not completely pro-Ukrainian. He is not the kind of person who will offer everything that is in the interests of Ukraine or the Ukrainian government. At the same time, compared to many others, especially Trump's inner circle, Michael Waltz is more moderate,’ Kraiev explained.

According to the expert, it is worth paying attention to Michael Waltz's statements about limiting aid to Ukraine. However, we should not forget that last week it was emphasized that it is necessary to convince Russia that negotiations are expedient. And the only way to convince Russians of this is to continue supporting Ukraine.

‘Trump himself has even said that it is out of the question to stop helping Ukraine, as this would immediately block any negotiations. So, the statements of Trump's entourage about the possible reduction of aid to Ukraine are not new — they spoke about this during the election, and they have not abandoned this position. However, at the same time, both Trump and his team are interested in putting pressure on Russia, as they have repeatedly stated,’ Kraiev said.

• On December 12, the Presidential Office stated that Ukraine is not yet ready to negotiate with Russia to end the war in the context of strong negotiating positions. This includes a lack of weapons and clear guarantees that Russia will not attack again.
• Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence that Trump wants to end Russia's war against Ukraine as soon as possible.