Pressure Harmony: Russia Attempts to Influence Donald Trump Through the Situation in Ukraine

In a recent interview on Radio NV, journalist and editor-in-chief of the publication Ostryv, Serhiy Harmash, expressed his views on the pressure that Russia is placing on U.S. President Donald Trump. According to Harmash, this pressure is linked to Trump's desire to avoid two defeats ahead of the elections, which could negatively impact his chances for reelection.

Harmash commented on Russia's demand for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas within two months, noting that this is connected to the current situation in Iran. He believes that the United States is currently a weakened state, and President Trump is losing his influence on the global stage. Harmash opines that Russia is attempting to exploit this moment, as Trump requires support to address issues in Iran.

“Whatever Russia supplies there — perhaps weapons or intelligence — this is a bargaining chip between Russia and the United States, this situation we have in Donbas. Russia is simply using the weakness of the U.S., caused by this moment. It is pressuring the U.S., and they will pressure us because having two defeats for Trump before the elections is very inconvenient,” explained Harmash.

The harmony of pressure, according to the editor-in-chief, is evident, as everyone understands that the U.S. has suffered a defeat on the Iranian front. In Ukraine, although Trump has stated that this is not his war, he promised to end it and initiated a “so-called peace process.” Harmash emphasized that if this process also ends in failure, it will negatively impact Trump's electoral chances, as well as the reputation and authority of his party in the upcoming November elections.

On March 31, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia is making demands for Ukraine to withdraw from the part of Donbas under its control, claiming that “then the war will end.” According to Zelensky, if Ukraine does not comply with this demand within two months, Russia will seize Donbas and “then there will be other conditions.”

In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Moscow allegedly did not set any deadlines for Ukraine regarding the withdrawal of troops from Donbas. However, he noted that the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas “should happen today, and it would have been better to do it yesterday.”

Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine's position on territorial issues has not changed. Kyiv will not agree to cede the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to Russia. In an interview with Corriere Della Sera published on March 3, he stated that Ukraine will not abandon Donbas and its 200,000 residents, as a retreat would open the way for Russia to the center of the country and would not stop new demands from the Kremlin.