Why is Ukraine afraid of Trump?
It's impossible to avoid certain feelings when our very existence is at stake
AS A UKRAINIAN, I’M SPEAKING FROM THE DEPTHS OF my heart. This is a country under unimaginable pain since Russia decided to invade us. Now, with Donald Trump returning as U.S. president, fear is a sentiment that haunts us deeply.
What will happen to us? What is at stake for Ukraine?
The current situation is as follows: Our homes are reduced in ashes, our families are torn apart. No Ukrainian has been spared from carrying these scars. Yet, despite the suffering you’ve witnessed for almost three years, we’ve found strength, holding onto hope because the support of allies who believe in justice.
Our allies are, without exaggeration, the backbone of our resistance, because we are fighting a massive nuclear-armed aggressor, an unleashed monster that threatens the entire planet. This is a fight no nation can endure alone. And despite Ukraine’s courage and commitment, neither can we.
Now, we face the grim reality that the strongest tie in this partnership may break under a new administration. Trump has repeatedly indicated that Ukraine would simply not be a priority.
His past actions make us question whether we can count on him. In 2019, he demanded a political favor from President Zelenskyy, freezing crucial military aid and leaving us vulnerable. In America, it might have been a political scandal. For us, it was a chilling reminder of how fragile our lifeline is.
U.S. aid isn’t just numbers on a budget sheet: it’s the reason children survive and soldiers return home alive.
Trump’s frequent praise of Vladimir Putin, calling him a “strong leader” and failing to condemn his atrocities, isn’t just rhetoric. For us, these aren’t just words. They’re signals to Moscow that the United States might turn its back on Ukraine. And when Russia senses weakness, they unleash more violence, more destruction, and more death. We’ve lived this nightmare. We can’t bear for it to worsen.
Under President Biden, the U.S. has been our greatest hope. The weapons, sanctions, and unwavering support have enabled us to hold the line against Russia’s brutal onslaught. That's why Trump’s talk of cutting aid leaves us completely terrified.
He claims it costs too much. But how can one put a price on the lives of children, the safety of families, the freedom of an entire nation?
Trump’s “America First” vision presents another looming threat: the potential unraveling of the alliances that sustain us. NATO is our shield, a bond of solidarity against tyranny. If that shield weakens, we’ll be left exposed, defenseless against Russian aggression.
Some may say we’re imagining the worst. But we’ve seen what happens when the world looks away. Our towns become rubble. Our loved ones disappear. Our pain deepens.
We understand that Americans have their own battles to fight, their own struggles to face. But we plead with you to see what’s at stake. This isn’t just about Ukraine. It’s about standing up for what is right.
This isn’t just about standing up for what is right. It’s about stopping evil before it spreads to the entire world. Because no one doubts now what Putin is capable of.
When Trump boasts about ending the war in “24 hours,” it doesn’t comfort us. It terrifies us. A rushed peace, built on concessions to Russia, would betray everything we’ve sacrificed.
Peace without justice is no peace at all. It’s surrender.
Yes, we’re afraid. Not because we lack courage, but because no nation, no matter how brave, can stand alone against an aggressor as ruthless as Russia.
We need allies who see our struggle as their own, who understand that Ukraine’s fight is the world’s fight for freedom.
To our friends in the United States: Your choices matter, not just for you but for the world. For us, your decisions mean the difference between hope and despair, survival and destruction.
We pray America will continue to stand with us. Not just as an ally, but as a partner for justice and strength.
Please, don’t turn away now. We need you.
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I understand your fear of Trump. I am very afraid. Donald Trump has obviously been corrupted by Vladimir Putin and by Putin’s power and wealth. Trump has demonstrated his venality by ignoring all the norms that in the past have prevented American presidents from profiting off the presidency, at least while in office. And he has demonstrated his willingness to inflict terrible suffering on vulnerable people with the infamous policy that separated immigrant children from their parents when they crossed our southern border. I believe him when he talks about prison camps. I also believe that he will imprison more than just people who are in this country illegally.
Your country cannot deny the danger that Putin and his allies pose. Evidence of Putin’s criminal conduct of a genocidal war against Ukraine surrounds you. No amount of propaganda can convince you that Vladimir Putin is your country’s friend. Americans, unfortunately, have been seduced by a propaganda campaign that runs all day every day on cable TV for profit, begun by a man whose only allegiance, I believe, is to money.
Half of our nation believes every lie Trump tells, and because they see those lies backed up by what they perceive to be “the news,” they chose to ignore what the other half of us see plainly. And Republican politicians, in order to retain power, vote the way their misled constituents want them to.
I pray for Ukraine every day. Know that many of us in America see your courage and sacrifice, and we admire you tremendously. I wish I could see more of that sort of courage from Republican lawmakers, but I am not going to hold my breath until it happens.
I will continue to advocate for you, and I pray that others will do the same. #SlavaUkraine
Many, many of us here would love for Ukraine to be able to throw Russia out of your country forever. I wish I could tell you that things will be okay, but the man who will once again stain the White House with his presence has no care for anyone but himself.