Foreign policy might not have been a campaign focus in the latest US election, but for Ukrainians, Donald Trump’s victory came with immense gravity as an uncertain future now looms over the nation at war.
“As a citizen of Ukraine, the American elections were as important to me as our own,” Anton, a 29-year-old real estate manager, told Kyiv Post.
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While some Ukrainians said they are mad and scared by Trump’s victory – with his running mate JD Vance being vocally against further aid to Ukraine – some are hopeful that Trump could put an end to the war, and some Trump skeptics search for the silver lining.
“For me personally, if Kamala Harris were to take office, it would signify continuity in US policy toward Ukraine, meaning the war could persist indefinitely for my fellow citizens and me.”
‘Swift end to the war’
Anton, who supports Trump, said he did so because Trump “represents a hope for a swift end to the war.”
“For many Ukrainians, Trump represents a hope for a swift end to the war. People are weary – losing family members, seeing children and neighbors suffer, of living under constant fire. I am skeptical of recent polls suggesting that 60-70% of Ukrainians are willing to fight indefinitely.
“In his speeches, Trump has expressed interest in peace in Ukraine, and looking back at his first term, there is hope that he might be able to facilitate it,” Anton said.
While appreciative of support by current US President Joe Biden, he said the slow aid delivery under Biden could “translate into lost lives for Ukrainians,” adding that he is concerned the trend could continue under Democrat candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris.
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“For me personally, if Kamala Harris were to take office, it would signify continuity in US policy toward Ukraine, meaning the war could persist indefinitely for my fellow citizens and me,” he said.
“Furthermore, there remains considerable uncertainty around the military assistance provided to Ukraine. While President Biden and his administration have announced substantial funding for 2024, it has been reported that only 10% of the allocated aid has actually reached us. These shortfalls translate into lost lives for Ukrainians.”
“If Kamala Harris continues in the current administration, I worry that this policy may also continue,” he added.
“I’m skeptical of Trump’s promise to end the war within 24 hours – that’s likely an exaggeration. But I do believe we would see real steps taken in that direction.”
‘Ukraine, Ukrainians used like sandpaper’
Ihor, a 55-year-old lawyer and law firm owner, has been a loyal supporter of Trump since 2016. He shares the view that Trump could help end the war – maybe not “in 24 hours” that Trump claimed in June 2023, but that he could take solid steps toward that end nevertheless.
“I believe that the situation will improve for Ukraine, with a better chance of ending the war,” Ihor told Kyiv Post, adding that he believes Ukraine has been “used as a tool of geopolitics” under the Democrats, and Ukraine and its people were being sacrificed to help weaken Russia.
“We were gradually being erased – Ukraine and Ukrainians were used like sandpaper to wear down and weaken the Russian Federation, and Harris would likely continue this policy,” Ihor said.
Ihor believes Trump’s tendency to focus on domestic issues could mean less involvement in wars overseas.
“Trump, however, is interested in curtailing globalist projects and focusing more on domestic efforts within the United States. He seems intent on reducing US involvement in wars where we have acted as intermediaries,” he added
He said he doesn’t know how things will go moving forward, but he believes real steps to end the war can happen under Trump.
“I don’t know exactly how this will unfold, and I’m skeptical of Trump’s promise to end the war within 24 hours – that’s likely an exaggeration. But I do believe we would see real steps taken in that direction.
“We’ve made it this far so somehow we’ll manage to survive.”
‘Mad and scared’
Viktoriia Kosiak, a 30-year-old content designer who has since returned to Ukraine after briefly staying abroad when the 2022 invasion broke out, is less optimistic about the election outcome.
However, she added that Ukraine and Ukrainians will eventually “figure it out” moving forward.
“We’ve made it this far so somehow we’ll manage to survive. Because if not, then WWIII is inevitable and at that point, I won’t even care,” she told Kyiv Post.
Kosiak said that like many of her colleagues, she is trying to accept the fact that Trump won – which could just be a “psychological trick” to calm themselves down, she said.
Despite concerns over Trump’s presidency, she is also critical of what she calls a lack of courage displayed by the Democrats in standing up against Russia, and that Trump’s impulsiveness could be positive for Ukraine.
“It’s good and bad, because we knew that if Kamala were to win, it’s probably going to be similar to what Biden did, maybe a little better. With Trump … we don’t know, it’s either going to be good or super bad, so I think we’re trying to find some hope.”
“He’s very unpredictable, but who knows in which direction that unpredictability is going to go. Maybe somehow it turns out good for us…”
Kosiak said it’s important to move forward.
“I do keep this in the back of my mind just to power through … it’s not going to help to just sit and cry … eventually I think it’s crap, for America first of all, but we’ll see,” she added.
When asked whether Trump’s presidency would dissuade her from staying in Ukraine, Kosiak is adamant to stay.
“Sure. as long as it’s, well, still Ukraine,” she told Kyiv Post.
“Now it’s sad that our lives [depend] on this guy.”
‘Like toys in the hands of crazy old men’
Mariia, a 25-year-old retail worker whose father is defending Ukraine on the front, also said she feared for Ukraine’s future under Trump’s upcoming presidency, and that Trump’s unpredictability translates to actual concerns.
“I am scared, and my friends and family were scared because nobody knows how it’s going to go. If Kamala Harris [wins], we basically [know] what can happen, in [the] case of Trump nobody knows, because he’s crazy and retarded.
“Now it’s sad that our lives [depend] on this guy. We’re like toys in the hands of crazy [grandfathers],” Mariia told Kyiv Post.
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