Ukrainians have invited Donald Trump to visit their country to witness first-hand the horrors of Russia’s illegal invasion before any peace deal is secured.
Concerns have been stoked over Ukrainian concessions as the US President speaks directly with Vladimir Putin again.
Residents of Kyiv told the Express they feared that Trump does not properly understand the conflict.
“President Trump should see how it is in Ukraine, how this war really started and how it should be ended,” said Iliya Pidgayniy, 27, who serves in the Ukrainian army with his brother.
“Russia started this war. It’s killed thousands and thousands of good people. Ukrainians never wanted this war, they wanted peace far more than any other European or American official who claims that they are tired somehow of this war.
“We want peace. But right now it’s my personal opinion. The best way to conclude the peace is to break down Russia so it will never attack again.”
Oleksandr Borushko, 60, felt the US President’s inconsistent and unpredictable approach was also worrying and played only into Vladimir Putin’s hands.
“I think we need a normal person who is stable. I believe that at this stage, if Trump speaks from America, it is an advantage for Russia,” he said.
“Donald Trump is like a small child who only listens to the person giving him attention at that moment.
“One day he leaves the negotiations, tomorrow the negotiations will come, then they will be abandoned. I don’t think he knows what will happen.”
When Trump was elected in November, some parts of Ukraine had hopes that the bold dealmaker could help foster a peace agreement. However, according to Oleg Shamshur, a
Ukrainian diplomat and former ambassador to the United States, belief has faded since he ascended to office.
He said: “There was some kind of expectation here that Trump would be able to end the war or at least to show the way to ending the war, taking into account Ukraine’s interest. That was the opinion of at least half of the Ukrainian general public.
“From the very beginning, I was skeptical. The ceasefire and ensuing “peace” under the conditions that were promoted by Trump’s team were definitely not favorable for Ukraine.
“I think that the main motivation of Trump’s policy is to end the war, no matter what. His motivation was to liberate himself to deal with other problems at home and internationally. He doesn’t care about the national interests of Ukraine.
“If you look at the dynamics of his behavior, there was much more pressure on Ukraine and the leadership than on Russia. And you’ll notice that he and his team tried to avoid their harsh criticism of the Russian leadership.”
