Trump's election proposal for Ukraine may play right into Putin's hands

I am a pessimist when it comes to assessing the motivation. It seems that the Trump administration would like to achieve a change of power in Ukraine in this way so that it would be easier for Trump to strike some deal with Putin.

"For me, it is quite clear that it is not about a deal between Zelenskyy and Putin through Trump’s mediation, but rather a deal between Trump and Putin in the absence of Zelenskyy."

However, I wouldn't overestimate the realism of such a plan. Trump generates a constant stream of crazy ideas and proposals to keep our attention on himself. The deal about Ukraine is one of those long-term topics.

Moreover, a change of power in Ukraine through elections could be a condition set by Putin for negotiations with Trump. He needs someone in Ukraine who will agree to his terms and sign a capitulation. For this, Putin might even agree to a temporary ceasefire to lift the state of martial law and hold elections in Ukraine. This would also give him additional leverage over Ukraine - an incentive to avoid continuing the war in its current form, depending on the desired outcome of the elections.

Source

About the author. Volodymyr Horbach, political analyst at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, expert on Ukraine's foreign and domestic policy.

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.