Olga Rudenko: Trump won’t be my president, but he may decide my future

November 8, 2024

By Ukraine

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You probably already know that Russia’s war against Ukraine should have stopped this week.

That is, if we were to take seriously the self-imposed deadline U.S. President-elect Donald Trump advertised during the campaign. He said that the war can and should be “stopped” or “settled” within 24 hours, sometimes even implying that it would happen right after he’s elected, before he assumes office.

Of course, we know that it was nothing but a flashy campaign promise (and that Trump only assumes office in January). Sitting here in Kyiv, we know better than to expect a magical overnight resolution of the war that has been raging since 2014, with a new, bloodier stage since 2022.

But it’s a good illustration of the incoming U.S. president’s perception of Ukraine, Russia, and the war. It’s one of the most memorable things he said, but there were others: dismissive remarks about aid to Ukraine, implying that President Volodymyr Zelensky was getting too much from the U.S. (“the greatest salesman on Earth,” Trump sarcastically called him), and a flattering tone he saved for talking about Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (he called his invasion of Ukraine “genius” and “savvy”).

And don’t forget to add Trump’s bumpy history with Ukraine to the mix: It was his call to Zelensky that prompted his first impeachment in 2019. When Trump met with Zelensky in Washington in September — a meeting that almost didn’t happen — Ukraine’s president looked tense and uneasy.

It’s therefore understandable that Kyiv feels anxiety over Trump’s victory. As Ukrainians, we have no say in the U.S. election, but our future nonetheless depends on who wins it. If I had to capture the mood in Kyiv, I’d say it’s nauseating uncertainty.

"As Ukrainians, we have no say in the U.S. election, but our future nonetheless depends on who wins it. "

Many here took note of Trump’s remarks and concluded that he hates Ukraine and will all but sell it out to Russia. When we took to the streets of Kyiv the day after the election to ask people what they thought about Trump’s victory, they didn’t hold back.

“Can I swear?” a 21-year-old Ukrainian woman said. “We’re f*cked like the Poles in 1939.”

Others cling to optimism. Some think that Trump won’t force Ukraine into a deal that benefits Russia because of the Kremlin’s alliance with his two enemies, Iran and China. Others hope that Trump can be nudged to get emotionally invested in Ukraine’s victory if it can be framed for him as a demonstration of his strength. Perhaps that’s why Zelensky said in a speech this week that “peace can’t be bought by weakness.”

Am I anxious about a Trump presidency? I’m a Ukrainian, a journalist, and a woman. Of course I am. But I also have a newsroom of brilliant young journalists here in Kyiv. With them, we’ll do what’s right: cover Trump justly and hold him accountable, as all journalists should.

As Ukrainian journalists, we have covered our share of rule-breakers and can take on one more.

Here’s an excerpt from an internal note I sent to the Kyiv Independent team after the U.S. election:

“Naturally, we will scrutinize everything he says and does regarding Ukraine, Russia, and the war. If he fulfills the worst expectations and manifests himself as an enemy of Ukraine, we will cover him as such, and won’t hold back.”

So here we are — bracing ourselves for this next chapter in Ukraine’s fight for survival, which we have the honor to witness and chronicle. We are staying here no matter what comes next, to be your eyes and ears on the ground in Ukraine.

What makes it possible? Your support. The Kyiv Independent is funded by readers like you. Our community is our backbone. Choose to support the Kyiv Independent today — and let’s face the uncertainty together.

After all, when can community be more important than at a time like this?

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

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