U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's first team picks have both positive and negative implications for Ukraine, with Kyiv left guessing what kind of policy they will pursue, according to Ukrainian and Western analysts. Some appointments seem to lean in Kyiv’s favor, while others hint at a more Moscow-friendly stance.
The following is the Nov. 12, 2024 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. As Donald Trump prepares to reenter the White House, the biggest question hanging over Ukraine is what his
Ukrainians awoke a week after Donald Trump's election victory to hear that the president-elect had tapped Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary — one of the most eyebrow-raising appointments announced so far by the incoming administration of Kyiv’s top Western ally. Some in the U.S. on
"You're going to see a very senior special envoy, someone with a lot of credibility, who will be given a task to find a resolution, to get to a peace settlement," one of the sources said.
"He (President Joe Biden) believes in the norms, he believes in our institution, he believes in the peaceful transfer of power," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told journalists on Nov. 12.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a stern warning regarding North Korea’s recent deployment of troops to support Russian forces, stating this "demands and will receive a firm response."
While Musk has repeatedly echoed pro-Russian talking points on Ukraine, including proposals to cede territory to Moscow, Ramaswamy was among the most vocal opponents of military aid for Kyiv.
President-elect Donald Trump has named Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as the incoming U.S. Defense Secretary, Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Nov. 12. If confirmed by Congress, Hegseth will replace current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin following Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. "Pete
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the U.K. may need to send troops to Ukraine if U.S. support or military funding is reduced, GB News reported on Nov. 12.
Waltz is a Congressman from Florida and a retired Army Green Beret.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio is likely to be the next U.S. secretary of state, according to reports on Nov. 12 that mark the latest insight into how President-elect Donald Trump's White House will approach Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump, leader of the Republican party who was elected president on
After a call with Trump on Nov. 11, Alexander Stubb said his intentions after taking office in January 2025 are clear.
It's not immediately clear why the government-controlled TV and its prime-time news program chose this particular angle. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin suppressed freedom of speech in the country in the early 2000s and placed a tight grip on all mainstream TV networks, little has been allowed to be aired in Russia without the government's permission.
The U.K. prime minister will also press for a one-on-one discussion with Joe Biden during the G20 summit.
If appointed, Marco Rubio will replace Antony Blinken.
NATO allies believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aiming to recapture territory lost to Ukraine in the Kursk region before Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, The Telegraph reported on Nov. 11.
Rep. Mike Waltz has reservations about continued extensive U.S. military aid to Ukraine, arguing that European countries should increase their support to ensure regional stability.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, according to a statement on Nov. 10.
Jean-Noel Barrot said Kyiv’s Western allies needed to do everything they could to ensure Ukraine entered any future peace negotiations in the strongest position possible.
It’s extraordinary how the fortunes of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have changed since they last met in 2019. Back then, at the G20 summit in Canada, Trump was embroiled in domestic legal issues, the Mueller report, and accusations of being Moscow’s candidate.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he intends to hold talks with his British counterpart Sir Keir Starmer in the coming days.
Editor's note: This article is an on-site version of KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events, delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. ReBuild Ukraine gathers in Warsaw on Nov. 13-14 to discuss infrastructure, housing, energy, and other
A report had claimed Trump advised Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine.
"President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine," U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
"Reports that the Ukrainian side was informed in advance of the alleged call are false. Subsequently, Ukraine could not have endorsed or opposed the call," foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told Reuters.
Key developments on Nov. 9-10: * Ukrainian forces launch largest drone attack on Moscow * Russian casualties reached record high in October, UK defense minister says * Russia set to launch 50,000-strong offensive in Kursk Oblast, including North Koreans, NYT reports * Trump urges Putin to avoid escalation in Ukraine, WP reports Russian
During the call from Trump’s Florida resort, President-elect advised Putin not to escalate the situation in Ukraine and highlighted Washington’s significant military presence in Europe, one source familiar with the discussion said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed that “decisions on the war in Ukraine can neither be made over the heads of Ukrainians nor over ours." Europe will have to bear more responsibility for its security, he added.
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur unpacks what Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election means for Ukraine.
"We need faster deliveries and fewer self-imposed red lines," Borrell said referring to his support of allowing Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian with Western-provided long range weaponry.
A senior advisor to Donald Trump has said Ukraine needs to be "realistic" in its aims for the war, adding the Russian-occupied peninsula of Crimea was "gone."
"The dialogue between President Zelensky and President-elect Trump has already been established," Sybiha said in Kyiv at a joint press conference with the European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell.
