Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed skepticism that 45th President Donald Trump would be as good an ally to Ukraine as the Biden administration, noting he is “afraid” for what changes a new administration could bring for the war torn country.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the Ukrainian president declared that “President Biden is the president during a full-scale war and he has been more helpful to us than President Trump,” but noted that the “full-scale war” had not happened during Trump’s tenure.
“I’m not sure how Trump would have acted,” Zelensky told the outlet, also noting that any new administration would bring fear and uncertainty for Ukraine.
“In a situation like this, when there is support, you are afraid of changes,” said Zelensky. “And to be honest, when you mention a change of administration, I feel the same way as any other person—you want changes for the better, but it can also be the other way around.”
The foreign president also expressed doubt Trump could end the conflict within 24 hours taking office, a boast he’s made multiple times while on the campaign trail. In that rebuke, Zelensky suggested Trump should have done more to help Ukraine while in the White House. According to Breitbart:
He also appeared uncomfortable with Donald Trump’s claim that he would be able to negotiate a peace settlement to the Ukraine War within 24 hours, adding that the 45th American leader did not seem to care that Ukrainian territory — namely Crimea — was being “occupied” by Russia during his presidency after being illegally annexed under the Obama administration in 2014.
Zelensky also urged the West to send more Patriot missile systems, telling WSJ that it is the only “weapon capable of stopping” sophisticated Russian missiles. “The only system in the world is the Patriot,” he stressed, before adding that “50 Patriots” would be enough to protect Ukraine “for the most part.”
Patriot missile systems cost approximately $1.1 billion and each missile comes with a price tag of approximately $4 million. Ukraine currently has at least two Patriot missile systems thanks to backing from the West and the United States.
