Ukraine develops victory plan for Trump administration - FT
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump (president.gov.ua)
Ukraine has developed a game plan to strengthen ties with the incoming Donald Trump administration by offering business deals and military cooperation. This is due to fears that the US president-elect may go for a peace deal with Russia, weakening support for Ukraine, the Financial Times reports.
According to Ukrainian and European officials, the ideas were developed with Trump's transactional approach in mind.
One participant in the preparations said they want Trump to view Ukraine as an asset rather than a problem.
One of the proposed points is to replace some of the US troops stationed in Europe with Ukrainian forces after the war is over. Another idea, according to sources close to the drafting of the victory plan, involves the distribution of Ukraine's natural resources among Western partners, which, according to the participants, should interest Trump.
Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Ukrainian parliament, called the appeal to Trump a wise move.
He emphasized that Trump wants to be seen as a winner, not a loser, and to achieve this, he needs to assert his position with Putin.
At the same time, experts believe that Zelenskyy should demonstrate a willingness to negotiate with Russia.
Aliona Hetmanchuk, director of the New Europe think tank in Kyiv, noted that Ukraine is constrained by its national interests and public expectations.
Ukraine is also considering replacing its ambassador to Washington to build ties with the Trump team. Western allies are reacting to Kyiv's proposals with caution, fearing that a peace deal could weaken Europe's security.
Victory plan
Ukraine's victory plan was presented in the Verkhovna Rada. It consists of five public points and three secret annexes. One of the key initiatives is to invite Ukraine to join NATO.
Earlier, President Zelenskyy noted that some countries that do not provide sufficient assistance to Ukraine will not disclose the details of the secret applications.
