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Donald Trump, who won the U.S. presidential election, showed interest in two points of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “victory plan” during a meeting in September.
This was reported by the Financial Times.
Ukraine’s allies in Europe and the U.S., including influential Republicans, have offered advice on how best to frame proposals to encourage close cooperation with Kyiv rather than cutting critical aid to the country, according to Ukrainian and European officials.
Two of these ideas were incorporated into Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “victory plan,” which, according to people involved in its development, was specifically tailored for Trump. These proposals were later presented to Trump when the Ukrainian president met with him in New York in September.
One proposal involved replacing part of the U.S. troops stationed in Europe with Ukrainian troops after the war.
The other, initially developed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, according to those involved in crafting Zelenskyy’s “victory plan,” suggested sharing Ukraine’s critical natural resources with Western partners.
Trump was reportedly “interested” in these two points, according to a person familiar with the meeting.
Separately, Ukrainian business leaders are also negotiating with the government to propose an “investment screening” authority to Trump, allowing him to essentially select who can conduct business in the country.
One individual involved in planning described this idea as “ABC – anyone but China,” which could particularly appeal to Trump. Ukrainian industries reliant on Chinese technology and materials, such as telecommunications, could shift to American suppliers and attract more Western investments, the source said. This idea is in its early stages, but some business leaders close to the president’s office believe it could appeal to Trump.
Western allies have so far responded rather coolly to the “victory plan,” especially the call to formally invite Kyiv to join NATO and provide it with more advanced weaponry.
Last week, Zelenskyy stated that he had a “wonderful” first phone call with Trump after his re-election. However, Kyiv and its allies worry that the U.S. might reduce its military support once the Republican assumes office in January.
In particular, officials in Kyiv believe that with Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. election, the chances of Ukraine receiving a NATO invitation have diminished.
