Americans like winners: Ukrainian official explains Trump's growing support
Photo: Sergiy Kyslytsya, first deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump's attitude and that of his administration toward Ukraine have improved a lot in recent months. Americans like winners, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces are showing successful results on the battlefield and in strikes against Russia, says first deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Sergiy Kyslytsya, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
The current situation on the front — and the deep and medium-range strikes landing inside Russia — is making a forceful impression in Washington, he said.
He noted that Americans are a very unique nation with a distinct psychology, both on an individual level and as a nation. They like to be successful and to be on the side of those who are successful.
Kyslytsya recalled that in previous years, the Russians had been more or less successful in pushing narratives in the United States that "any day now, we will take the rest of Donbas."
American negotiators warned the Ukrainian team that if you cannot agree or do not want to agree to the terms that were on the negotiating table, it may happen that the ceasefire terms will then be dictated not by the outcome of negotiations, but by the outcome of hostilities. That they would, conditionally speaking, take Donbas, and then there would be new terms, Kyslytsya added.
Trump's shift on Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has sharply changed his position on Ukraine. Recently, he has begun praising Ukrainians and even supported granting Kyiv a license to produce its own ballistic weapons.
After the June G7 meeting, the countries issued a joint statement saying they had reached agreement on several issues related to Ukraine.
The parties agreed to increase deliveries of air defense equipment, additional air defense systems, and interceptor missiles to Ukraine. Trump also signed the joint statement.
Yesterday, July 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the US president held a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye. One of the key topics of the talks was strengthening Ukraine's air defense.
Trump said that work on a peace agreement regarding Russia's war against Ukraine is ongoing, although he described the process as difficult.
He also said that the United States is ready to grant Ukraine the right to produce Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. According to him, it is a technically complex process, but Ukraine will be able to master it quickly.
Trump also said that Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian territory could bring the war closer to an end. He acknowledged that they represent an escalation but stressed that, in his opinion, such escalation could help push the war toward its conclusion.
Earlier, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov explained that the reason for Trump's change in rhetoric is that the American leader likes winners.
Therefore, according to him, Ukraine's Defense Forces need to continue their successful actions on the battlefield to keep Trump's support.
