Title: Ukraine‘s Zelenskyy sees Trump‘s return as a time of opportunities and calls for Western troop deployment
Article:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the impending return of Donald Trump to the White House presents a "period of opportunities" and could potentially force Russia to accept a peace agreement. However, he also raised doubts about the future U.S. support for Ukraine following Trump’s assumption of office on January 20.
Addressing over 50 allies at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany – the final gathering of this kind before Trump’s inauguration – Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of unity and cooperation among European countries and the world during this new chapter in global politics.
Zelenskyy underscored his longstanding request for Western nations to send troops to aid Ukraine as the conflict nears its third-year mark. "Our objective is to find as many instruments as possible to compel Russia to achieve peace," he stated, adding, "I believe that the deployment of contingents from our allies is one of the most effective means to achieving this."
Under the current administration of President Joe Biden, the United States has been Ukraine’s primary sponsor, providing military aid valued at over $65 billion since the start of the war in February 2022. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who initiated the Ramstein format shortly after the war began, announced further U.S. military assistance worth $500 million for Ukraine.
Austin reflected on the past years, paying tribute to Ukrainian civilians who initially used Molotov cocktails to defend their homes, and highlighted the multinational coalition’s role in providing Ukraine with advanced military equipment. This support, he maintained, has transformed the conflict into one of the most remarkable military success stories of our time, inflicting over 700,000 casualties on Russia and deepening its global isolation.
Although Austin expressed hope that the future U.S. administration would continue its support for Ukraine to strengthen its position in potential peace negotiations, he refrained from explicitly endorsing Trump’s re-election.
Trump, who has criticized the extensive U.S. military aid to Ukraine, has vowed to swiftly end the conflict but has yet to propose a concrete plan for a ceasefire or peace accord. European officials, such as EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, emphasized the need for continued international solidarity with Ukraine, suggesting that the European Union may assume a more prominent leadership role if U.S. support wanes.
(Zelenskyy sees Trump’s return as a time of opportunities, Ukraine’s president tells allies at Ramstein – with agencies)
With information from AFP
