Trump's 100‑day plan: Talks, not peace, says Ukrainian adviser
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, believes that future US President Donald Trump will need one hundred days to initiate negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin rather than end the war. In the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Podolyak stated that there can be "no compromise at Ukraine's expense."
Podolyak stressed that any resolution must not come at Ukraine's expense. Referring to Donald Trump's claim of ending the war within a hundred days, he clarified that this likely refers to initiating negotiations with Putin within that timeframe. He further noted that talks between Ukraine and Russia could only follow such preliminary discussions.
Podolyak explained that to end the war, it is necessary to understand the context and listen to President Zelensky, who speaks of two fundamental steps. The first is aligning the positions of the USA, the European Union, and Ukraine on a just peace. The second clearly defines the means to apply pressure on Russia in the future. As Zelensky's adviser emphasised, Russia will not give up its desire to continue attacking Ukraine.
Harmful illusions
Podolyak assessed that "talk of peace in a hundred days is harmful to us and the West." He rhetorically asked whether we want to stop the aggressor country and live in peace or allow it to continue expanding without consequences. In his view, Ukraine should not discuss readiness to cede Donbas, and a compromise at Ukraine's expense is unacceptable. "But if everyone keeps saying we should give something to Russia, it's like an invitation to a wedding," he assessed.
Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired General Keith Kellogg, a few days earlier on Fox News, emphasised that the president-elect wants to end the war in Ukraine "as quickly as possible," but does not intend to yield to Putin.
"People need to understand that he's not trying to give something to Putin or to the Russians. He's actually trying to save Ukraine and save their sovereignty and he's going to make sure that it's equitable, that it's fair," stated Kellogg. He noted that his goal is to find a resolution to the conflict within 100 days of Donald Trump's inauguration.
