Top Zelensky advisor Mykhailo Podolyak on dealing with Trump
meduza.io
Mykhailo Podolyak was cautiously optimistic about Donald Trump’s return to the White House. In an interview with Meduza in the days after the new U.S. president’s inauguration, the top advisor to Volodymyr Zelensky said he saw a change in Trump’s rhetoric towards Russia that gave him “some hope.” But in the weeks since, Trump has abandoned talk of putting pressure on Moscow and adopted a harsher attitude towards Ukraine: calling Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” demanding that Kyiv sign an unfavorable deal to exchange Ukrainian natural resources for military aid, and sending a delegation to conduct bilateral peace talks with Russia. To find out how officials in Kyiv view this change, Meduza called Podolyak for another wide-ranging interview. The following translation has been edited and abridged for length and clarity.

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Mykhailo Podolyak was cautiously optimistic about Donald Trump’s return to the White House. In an interview with Meduza in the days after the new U.S. president’s inauguration, the top advisor to Volodymyr Zelensky said he saw a change in Trump’s rhetoric towards Russia that gave him “some hope.”

But in the weeks since, Trump has abandoned talk of putting pressure on Moscow and adopted a harsher attitude towards Ukraine: calling Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” demanding that Kyiv sign an unfavorable deal to exchange Ukrainian natural resources for military aid, and sending a delegation to conduct bilateral peace talks with Russia.

  • d00phy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    2 days ago

    I feel like he’s in a better position than people give him credit for. Europe is behind him, and Trump wants to have his cake (besties with Putin) and eat it (NATO). If he rejects Trump’s bullying in the negotiations, it forces Trump to decide. If he sides with Putin, that’s pretty much it for NATO, US-Euro relations. Possibly the UN, as well. The US loses A LOT in the way of economic, intelligence, and strategic cooperation all to become a VERY weakened dictatorship’s new best friend. I’m mean, of course that’s what Trump will do because “4d chess,” and “art of the deal,” and whatever.

    It all kind of depends on Europe. They kind of want the best of both worlds too (back Ukraine and not lose the US as an ally). Which is more important to them? Germany’s new chancellor offered a hopeful signal after winning the election, and I have a feeling Macron and Starmer won’t ditch Ukraine, but we’ll see if that sentiment holds when shit gets real.