‘Why are we doing that?’: Trump won’t support Ukraine’s self-defense efforts despite ceasefire calls

If Donald Trump has his druthers, the United States support of Ukraine is sure to waver.

“Why are we doing that?” Trump asked about President Biden’s authorization of U.S. made missiles for military use in Ukraine. “I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia,” the president-elect said in his Person of the Year interview with Time Magazine. “We’re just escalating this war and making it worse.” Biden’s decision came after Russia authorized 15,000 North Korean troops to be deployed on the battlefield against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pled with the White House for additional support, and Biden granted it in the form of long range ATACMS missiles.

In a post on social media, Trump called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, saying that the war between the two nations “”should never have started, and could go on forever.” Despite Trump’s promises to end the war, Trump has shared little detail on how he intends to do so. While campaigning for the 2024 presidency, Trump frequently said that he could end the war in as little as 24 hours. According to the Russian ambassador, he can’t.

While Ukranian President Zelenskyy said that he had a “good meeting” with Trump when the two met in Paris to discuss the conflict, Zelenskyy later took to social media to stress that peace between Russia and Ukraine will likely not be able to be brokered “with a piece of paper and a few signatures.” Zelenskyy said. that “without guarantees” surrounding the ceasefire, the fighting could be “reignited at any moment.”

“We all know Putin very well -“he is addicted to war.” continued Zelenskyy “We count on America and the entire world to help stop Putin. The only things he fears are America and global unity.” According to Trump’s social media post about Russia’s leader, the president-elect also “know(s) Vladimir well,” stating that it’s “his time to act.” How does Trump expect Putin to act? Similar to his statements about a plan to end the war, he didn’t elaborate.

Donald Trump is not the only person in the upcoming administration to waffle when it comes to support for Ukraine. Elon Musk, Trump’s pick for the to-be-created Department of Government Efficiency, has gone back and forth concerning Ukraine. According to sources at Mar a Lago, Musk sat in on a call between Trump and Zelenskyy, where the Space X executive assured Zelenskyy that he would continue to support Ukrainian communications with Starlink satellite technology.

Despite Musk’s apparent support for Ukraine, he has frequently taken to social media to troll President Zelenskyy and his requests for aid. Musk has even made social media posts that called Ukraine’s status as a sovereign nation into question.

Despite Trump and Musk’s ambiguous and even callous treatment of Ukraine, the Biden Administration has continued to support the nation’s self-defense efforts. The White House recently announced a nearly $1 billion aid package to Ukraine, hoping to provide the nation with necessary support before the presidency changes hands. Ukraine’s future is soon to be in the hands of Trump and Musk, and the pair may decide to drop the nation all together, leaving Russia to sort through the pieces.