Senior Republican election strategist Bryan Lanza said on Saturday that Mr Trump’s priority for Ukraine would be achieving peace rather than helping it regain territory captured by Russia, such as Crimea and parts of the Donbas. However, responding to Mr Lanza’s comments, a spokesman for MrTrump denied that Mr Lanza had spoken for the incoming president.
Mr Trump on Saturday ruled out giving his former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who is staunchly pro-Ukraine, a role in his incoming administration. Mr Pompeo was one of Trump’s most trusted advisers during his first term, serving initially as the director of the CIA in 2017 before running the state department from 2018.
He had been seen as a top contender for defence secretary in Mr Trump’s second administration.
Although Donald Trump expressed scepticism towards funding Ukraine during his presidential campaign, he told Volodymy Zelensky during a phone call last week that he did not intend to abandon Kyiv.
The incoming US president said to Mr Zelensky that he wanted to “give diplomacy a chance” and promised the Ukrainian president that “you will be happy with me”, according to Axios news.
Musk on Trump and Zelenksy call
Elon Musk, who has been tipped for a top job in the next US administration, was also on the call between Mr Zelenksy and Mr Trump.
The SpaceX owner, who has also expressed doubt that Ukraine can beat Russia, was reported to have told Mr Zelensky that he will continue to support Kyiv through the company’s Starlink network, which Ukraine’s military uses for communications.
According to US news site Axios, the phone call was received positively by the Ukrainian president.
John Bolton, Mr Trump’s former national security adviser, told the Telegraph earlier this week that a deal with Putin was now likely.
In return for an end to the conflict, Ukraine will be forced to cede ground already occupied by Russia, said Mr Bolton, who is now a fierce critic of Mr Trump.
“I’m afraid that’s the plan and it’s going to be take it or leave it for Ukraine,” he said.