By Janet Ekstract NEW YORK – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who spoke at length to Britain’s Guardian newspaper said on February 11, that if U.S. President Donald Trump withdraws U.S. support for Ukraine, Europe on its own will not be able to guarantee Ukraine’s security. As Zelenxky told the Guardian: “There are voices which say that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans and I always say, no.” He added, “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees.” At issue, is the fact that Trump and his new U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth do not favor military support for Ukraine and just want to see the Russia-Ukraine war end as soon as possible. Though Zelensky said he is ready to negotiate, he told the Guardian that he wants to do so from a “position of strength.” He also told the Guardian that he is prepared to offer American companies, lucrative reconstruction contracts and investment concessions as a way to persuade Trump to his side.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian citizens as well as those in the EU have sounded the alarm about Trump’s comments and what they perceive as his acquiescence to Russian President Vladimir Putin. One day before the Munich Security Conference, NATO defense ministers met in Brussels to formulate their response to what they view as Trump’s isolationist position. On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the U.S. will no longer prioritize European and Ukrainian security, putting the focus on its own borders and its race for dominance with China. Meanwhile, Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton commented Wednesday after Trump’s lengthy phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin – that Trump has “effectively surrendered” to Putin.
Nerves are certainly being rattled in Ukraine, especially among residents in Kyiv who have reacted with anger, defiance and much worry after Trump commented on his call with Putin, suggesting Ukraine would have to cede some Russian-occupied territory. On February 13, CNN International interviewed Ukrainians in the capital who expressed their dismay, indicating it was a negative sign for Ukraine. Other Ukrainians were hopeful that a positive type of peace deal might be reached but not many were expecting such a great deal for their country. The two major issues for Ukraine are becoming a NATO member and having its territory returned after Russia took over large swaths of Ukraine. A bitter memory is Russia’s seizing of Crimea in 2014 and a major challenge for European leaders is Trump’s view that everything is a deal and that anyone attached to a situation is just part of that deal. The comment Hegseth made to NATO defense ministers that it was “unrealistic” for Ukraine to join NATO or for Ukraine to reclaim all of the territory that Russia annexed since it first invaded Ukraine in 2014 did not sit well with any of then . CNN who interviewed Yuliya Kazdobina who works for the Kyiv-based foreign policy think tank Ukrainian Prism, told CNN, “No matter how much we want peace, I don’t think it’s possible because Russia has not changed its mind and it’s not going to change its position.” The question that remains is whether Zelensky can somehow convince Trump that by supporting Ukraine he can make a much better deal than siding with Russia.
