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UKRAINE is waiting with bated breath for Donald Trump’s next move following his historic election victory.
Ukrainians admitted being nervous as Kyiv relies heavily on US and Western help for their war against Russia but they hope the new President-Elect will be the “wake-up call Europe needs.”
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While the whole world eagerly watched as America headed to the polls, the day was particularly crucial for Ukraine.
The Sun talked to the Ukrainians in the very heart of Ukraine, Maidan Square in the country’s capital.
A doctor who took part in the 2014 revolution, Vasyl Pazynyak, 56, said his friends and family spent a sleepless night anxiously following coverage of the US presidential elections.
He told The Sun: “You know, without US support, Ukraine would have stopped being an independent country.
“Probably 90 or even 100% of my friends didn’t sleep, waiting to see what would happen in America, because we have to understand that if it weren’t for the support of the United States of America and then the European Union, Ukraine would have ceased to exist as an independent state.
“Because Putin, with his ambitions, could have taken us in a few months to half a year. And that’s why we anticipated Trump’s victory with great bewilderment and great anxiety.
“He promised that he would end the war. He didn’t mention about the price, and Americans aren’t very interested in foreign policy.
“Europe needs to grow up. Europe needs a wake-up call. They have a meeting of the European Council and the European Commission, even in some secret mode, and they should think about how to increase the amount of weapons, first of all for themselves.
“Because if Putin feels weakness from Trump, he will go further.
“Trump himself declared several times that he will leave NATO, and this is Putin’s dream.
“Therefore, Europe must grow up and think about its own safety.”
Ukrainian Maryna Petrenko, 38, agreed and said she feels that Trump’s presidency might have a positive effect on Ukraine.
“As a person who always thinks positively, I hope that there will be some good moments in Trump’s activities that will have a positive impact on Ukraine and the lives of Ukrainians.
“I hope that he will make a strong decision. I think Trump will have an impact on resolving the situation in Ukraine.
“You know, any changes can be for better or worse. Of course, there are always concerns.”
The President-Elect has repeatedly vowed to end the Ukraine war – with his plan on how to achieve that being revealed.
Trump would freeze the conflict in place and establish a demilitarised zone down the locked front line, the Wall Street Journal now reports.
Kyiv would not join Nato for 20 years, but the US would continue to arm Ukraine to the teeth to prevent Putin from invading again.
Who would police the demilitarised zone remains unclear, according to the sources, but it wouldn’t involve American troops or an international body.
Other Ukrainians admit they’re nervous about Trump’s plans and have expressed their fears over Western military aid.
British sapper and volunteer Harley Whitehead, 35, said he hopes that President Zelensky and NATO are prepared for Trump’s presidency.
And Yevgeny, 45, a military man, hopes that Trump will give Ukraine a kick start to reform the country and fight corruption.
” We have to do a lot of work in order to survive, in order to reform our country, and now it’s time to fight corruption. So probably Trump will give us a kick start.”
Ukrainian President Zelenksy has joined world leaders in congratulating the president-elect.
He wrote on Telegram that he had an “excellent” call with Trump and congratulated him on his landslide victory.
The Ukrainian said: “Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”
Trump’s man in Ukraine said the newly elected Republican will tell Vlad to “stop the war”, the Independent reports.
Kurt Volkner, who was Trump’s special representative for Ukraine between 2017 and 2019, said Trump will immediately push for peace.
He said Trump is “going to make a phone call to Putin as quickly as possible and tell Putin that he needs to stop the war, that the fighting has to stop, and that there has to be peace.”
