Trump’s speech to Congress: what Ukraine should expect from future relations with the United States
5 March 14:02
US President Donald Trump’s speech in Congress, which has become the subject of numerous discussions, has left neither politicians nor Ukrainian citizens indifferent. As the United States is an important strategic partner for our country, every word of Trump’s speech interests us not only in terms of American politics, but also in terms of its possible impact on international relations and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Ukraine remains an important partner of the United States
Political analyst Ruslan Bortnik believes that Donald Trump, even after the conflicts in the White House, does not refuse to cooperate with Ukraine.
According to Bortnik, Washington and Kyiv have complex but strong ties that cannot be severed instantly.
“I have said this before. Despite the quarrel in the Oval Office of the White House, Ukrainian-American relations are not destroyed. They will go through a lot more, you know, these ups and downs, because it’s a complex relationship with complex interests. But these relations are not destroyed,” the expert said in an exclusive commentary
Komersant ukrainskyi .
Peace and resources are on the agenda
Ruslan Bortnik noted that Trump’s interest in Ukraine is not limited to political issues.
“Trump plans to continue working with Ukraine and the Ukrainian authorities. This is especially true, of course, for two issues. The most pressing issue for us is the issue of peace and war,” he emphasized.
In addition, the economic aspect plays an important role in relations between the two countries.
“And, of course, the issue of mineral resources, common interests, which today binds Ukraine and the United States,“ the political scientist added.
Agreement on subsoil and rare earth metals
Political scientist Stanislav Zhelikhovsky believes that Donald Trump is taking steps towards rapprochement with Ukraine, but these relations may be different than before. In particular, it concerns a possible deal on natural resources and potential negotiations to end the war.
According to the expert, Trump has openly stated that a deal on subsoil could be signed.
“We can see that Donald Trump is signaling that an agreement on subsoil may be signed in the near future, as he has stated,” Zhelikhovsky said.
However, he emphasizes that such cooperation will not be the same as in previous years.
“In fact, he is signaling that he is ready for some kind of rapprochement with Ukraine. Although I do not see that it will be the same as it was before,” the political scientist explained.
Negotiations on the war and possible agreements
Another important issue raised by Trump is peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
“He also says that perhaps agreements will be reached in the context of a ceasefire, which he has been talking about all along,” Zelikhovsky said.
However, the expert doubts that Kyiv will agree to such initiatives, as Russia’s position remains unchanged.
“I wonder if it is possible to stop the hot phase of the war now, because Putin continues to insist on the conditions he has always set. That is, conditions that are absolutely unacceptable to official Kyiv,” he emphasized.
At the same time, it is important that Ukraine has the support of international partners and security guarantees.
“But it is important for us to be actively involved in this process, to be heard. And for our European partners to participate and, accordingly, for us to have, let’s say, assurances of security guarantees for Ukraine. Because if this does not happen, what kind of end to the war can we talk about? Given that this will actually mean a truce, not even for a long pause, but for a short one. In any case, there will be a pause, but the main question is whether there will be a new phase of the war, which Ukraine does not want to allow,” the political scientist added.
Trump is in a hurry to fulfill his election promises
According to Zelichowski, Trump’s current activity is related to his election campaign.
“Trump, as we can see, is in a great hurry to fulfill his campaign promises, and he is doing everything possible to make it possible to sign this agreement,” the expert explained.
In doing so, he may be trying to exploit the situation in relations between the US, China, and Russia.
“Moreover, he wants to enlist Russia’s support for certain aspects of foreign policy, particularly in the context of countering China, or at least neutralize this alliance,” Zhelikhovsky said.
He also does not rule out that diplomatic tensions between Kyiv and Washington are part of this process.
“That skirmish in the Oval Office, I think, could also be one of the elements of this pressure,” the political analyst added.
What will happen next?
The key question now is whether Ukraine’s national interests will be taken into account and whether it will be able to receive security guarantees from its international partners.
“We will see how much our national interests will be taken into account, how much the interests of our European partners will be taken into account, and whether Ukraine will be able to receive security guarantees, at least from European states,” Stanislav Zhelikhovsky summarized.
