Ukraine is forced to confront a brutal Trump reality that it hoped would never happen
CNNCNN — Bets were hedged, upsides conjured and insurance policies crafted. Ukraine and its NATO allies have had for months to entertain the idea of a Trump victory, juggling conceits of a strongman US president who might be a yet tougher ally, a dealmaker who might bring a favorable peace, or fresh eyes who might see a new end to a fatiguing war. It is an anathema to two of Trump’s first term dislikes: costly US military engagement abroad, and upsetting Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin played these recent cards hoping Trump would win, on the sure bet he would remain a man of instinct – isolationist and distrustful of America’s long-term alliances. There has long been a policy flaw in NATO’s approach; the Biden administration did not want to arm Ukraine forcefully enough that Russia might be militarily defeated, as it feared wider escalation.