How another Trump presidency could change the Ukraine-Russia War 

By Hannah Goeke

The potential return of Donald Trump to the White House might significantly influence the course of the Ukraine-Russia War. As the number one military aid, the United States has played a major role in the conflict–Trump has dropped many hints that this could change if he becomes president. 

The former president stated that he could end the war within 24 hours in an interview with CNN in May without revealing specific plans on how to achieve this. Although he never expressed full support for either side, Trump’s admiration for Putin throughout his political career and transactional approach to foreign policy may challenge the amount of military aid for Ukraine putting more pressure on European national budgets.

Trump said he plans on shifting NATO dynamics if he becomes president. During his presidency, Trump often criticized NATO and questioned the U.S.’s commitment to Article 5, which guarantees collective defense. He suggested making U.S. security guarantees conditional on countries meeting the 2% GDP threshold for defense spending. Without the United States, NATO might lack political leadership and the conventional and nuclear capabilities to defend Europe. 

Trump demanded that European countries step up, while suggesting that the United States should extend loans to Kyiv instead of direct financial assistance.

Aside from promoting the financial benefits of pulling out of a war, Trump also continues to bring up his personal grudge against Zelensky. “Zelensky is one of the greatest salesmen in history. Every time he comes to the country, he walks away with $50 or $60 billion”, he said during a campaign event in Ohio.