The coming United States presidential election will have truly global ramifications. Few countries have more at stake than Ukraine, which is heavily relianton continued US support to maintain the fight against Russia’s invasion. As the November 5 vote draws nearer, Ukrainians are anxiously observing the final weeks of the campaign.
Over the past two-and-a-half years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials, military personnel, and members of the public have gone to considerable lengths to express their gratitude for US support and acknowledge the critical role this has played in their country’s war effort. However, there is now a sense of disquiet over the future of US aid.
Ukrainian concerns are primarily focused on the potential consequences of a Donald Trump victory in the forthcoming election. While Ukrainian officials and commentators generally prefer not to make any public statements about the presidential race in order to avoid accusations of interfering in domestic US politics, many acknowledge a growing nervousness.
Uncertainty in Kyiv over the former president’s position is not a new phenomenon and can be traced back almost a decade to the 2016 US presidential race. “Trump’s view of Ukraine has been persistently negative for the last eight years at least,” Odesa National University Center for International Studies director Volodymyr Dubovyk commented in September 2024. “Much of this view was shaped by people antagonistic to Ukraine.”
Trump’s support for Ukraine while in the White House, which included the delivery of Javelin anti-tank missiles, did much to rebuild confidence in Kyiv. He also chose not to use his influence over Republican members of Congress to block aid for Ukraine earlier this year. Nevertheless, there is currently considerable unease over the former US president’s vague plans for peace with Russia, which many Ukrainians fear would involve unacceptable territorial concessions.
Voice of Ukraine 