Will Trump dare to visit Moscow or Kyiv? Analyst weighs in

He spoke about this on Espreso TV.

“As for Trump, I have the impression that he would like to go. He enjoys such events, but in my opinion, it would be too politically risky for him because Putin is unpopular in America. If Trump appears on Red Square next to Putin, it would be politically dangerous for him. I don’t rule out that it could happen, but it’s unlikely. I think Trump likes Putin. He might even want to be like Putin in the United States.

However, Putin is unpopular in America, and that’s why I find it hard to imagine Trump would take such a step,” Umland noted.

Under the current circumstances, among Europeans, representatives of Serbia or Hungary might travel to meet with Putin. And Republicans would oppose this, especially considering the upcoming Congressional elections, the analyst added.

“It would look bad, and therefore, most likely, I would say with 51% certainty that he will not go to Moscow. He would go if there were no internal political constraints,” he added.

It is also unlikely that Donald Trump would visit Ukraine. He still has memories from his first presidency, when the impeachment process began after a phone call with Zelenskyy, Umland says.

“I think he most likely won’t come. I believe he simply doesn’t like Zelenskyy, hence the idea around the Ukrainian elections. Nevertheless, it’s not such a simple situation for Trump because Ukraine remains popular in America. Most Americans believe that the United States should support Ukraine. At the same time, they have a negative view of Russia, especially Putin. So for Trump, this is a complex issue. He is probably feeling societal pressure that might eventually push him to come to Ukraine. For now, it’s hard to imagine,” he said.

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a visit by White House head Donald Trump to Ukraine would help him understand what the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has done.