Can Trump influence the war in Ukraine before his inauguration? An expert's assessment.

The elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, is unlikely to reach an agreement between Russia and Ukraine before his inauguration. According to information circulating in the media regarding the politician's deals, there is no confirmation. This was stated by political analyst Taras Zahorodniy in a comment for RBC-Ukraine.

The expert commented on an article from The Economist, which mentioned that Trump hopes for a ready peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia by the time of his inauguration, scheduled for January 20, 2025.

"Well, I don't believe in that. What kind of agreement can be reached by January 20 if Trump is not yet president? On the contrary, I see positive news," Zahorodniy said.

He reminded that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov complained that the new Trump administration is just like the previous one and "doesn't want to pay attention to the oppression of Russian speakers." He also suggested that a conversation between Trump and Putin did take place and ended "not very pleasantly" for Russia.

"They were probably told things they didn't want to hear, and they didn't like it at all. Therefore, I think we can expect a lot of surprises regarding Russia primarily. I am convinced that under the previous Biden administration, time worked against Ukraine, while under the current administration, time works in favor of Ukraine," Zahorodniy noted.

In his opinion, the information spread in the media about recorded violations at the contact line and possible agreements lacks foundation, as it causes dissatisfaction among Russians.

"As long as Ukrainian troops are in the Kursk region, I think it's even theoretically impossible," the expert concluded.

Earlier, it was reported that in Kyiv, they view Trump's presidency as an opportunity for victory, according to Politico. Some European and Ukrainian political circles see Trump as a chance to end the war on favorable terms for Kyiv.