Trump may try to persuade Ukraine to peace favoring Russia

Officials in Kyiv have spent months pondering what a Donald Trump victory could mean for their war with Russia. Many have concluded that his history of respecting autocrats like Vladimir Putin and his transactional approach to foreign policy could spell disaster for Ukraine.

However, "not all of their predictions are as dire as one might expect." One Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TIME that in the event of a Republican candidate's victory, "the first eight or ten months, basically all of 2025, would be very hard."

"Trump would be likely to slash aid to Ukraine and push Zelensky to accept a peace deal skewed heavily in Russia’s favor. Like previous US presidents, Trump could also seek a reset in relations with Vladimir Putin at the start of his term. But over time he will see that Putin cannot be trusted," the official said.

The source also did not rule out that the new US president might eventually realize "that Putin can’t care less about Trump and his agenda" and "that's when we could start to see some advantages from Trump, as he will not want to be played by Putin."

Additionally, TIME notes that in trying to persuade Trump and his future Vice President J.D. Vance, Ukrainians are also relying on help from allies in Europe and the American military-industrial complex, which could gain huge profits from continuing to produce weapons for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"They can explain to [Trump] why this benefits many people in America, especially in red states. It creates jobs. It supports the economy," the Ukrainian official told TIME.

Trump's peace plan according to Boris Johnson

Recently, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed a potential peace plan by Donald Trump, which he might implement if elected President of the United States.

According to it, the US allows Kyiv to strike airfields on Russian territory with Western missiles and forces the Kremlin into negotiations. As a result of the talks, the Russians would have to withdraw to the borders of February 24, 2022, Crimea remains under Russian control, Ukraine-controlled territory gains the opportunity for rapid accession to the EU and NATO, and Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers are stationed in European countries, replacing part of the US military contingent deployed to protect against Russian aggression.

This version was voiced by Johnson a few days after meeting with Trump.

The Ukrainian government said that the voiced likely "Trump plan" aligns with Ukraine's interests.