Trump's election win in November had sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow's invasion of Ukraine that began in Feb. 2022, but it also led to fears in Kyiv that a quick peace deal could come at a high price for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued during an interview that President Trump’s recent tough rhetoric is what Russian President Vladimir Putin is “afraid of.” Since being sworn in, Trump has put more pressure on Putin to negotiate with Ukraine in order to reach a peace agreement that would potentially end the nearly three-year war in