January 1, Zelensky Fears Trump Re-Election

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In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted concerns about the possible re-election of Donald Trump next year. He said that he was uncertain about how Trump might have reacted if Russia had invaded during his presidency.

Zelensky praised the Biden administration for its response to Moscow’s invasion, which began last year. The current U.S. administration has provided substantial aid to Ukraine, including billions of dollars worth of weapons.

Zelensky seemed more comfortable dealing with Biden than the possibility of a Republican-led government returning. He said that such a change could complicate Ukraine’s war effort. “President Biden is the president during a full-scale war, and he has been more helpful to us than President Trump,” Zelensky told the interviewer, noting, however, that there “was no full-scale war” during Trump’s tenure.

“In a situation like this, when there is support, you are afraid of changes,” Zelensky said. “And to be honest, when you mention a change of administration, I feel the same way as anyone… You want changes for the better, but it can also be the other way around.”

Zelensky also appeared uncomfortable with Trump’s claim that he could negotiate a peace settlement to the Ukraine War within 24 hours. He noted that Trump didn’t seem concerned that Ukrainian territory — namely Crimea — was being “occupied” by Russia during his presidency. Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia during Obama’s administration in 2014.

During the interview, Zelensky used the opportunity to request more Patriot missile systems from the West, arguing that Ukraine does not currently have enough of these defensive weapons to protect both the frontline and civilians in cities. He stated that “50 Patriots” would be sufficient to protect Ukraine from Russian air attacks “for the most part.”

Presently, Ukraine has at least two Patriot batteries. Each individual Patriot platform reportedly costs over a billion dollars. As a result, Zelensky’s request would represent a significant ask for the Western world. American manufacturer Raytheon has reportedly only produced about “240 Patriot fire units” for global use. The latest generation of rockets for the platform can cost as much as $4.1 million each.

The Biden administration has already committed around $37 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, and additional billions in other forms of aid. However, the safety of the equipment is not guaranteed. One of the two batteries already in Ukraine was reportedly hit in a Russian strike, although U.S. security officials have insisted that the damage was minimal.

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