Donald Trump’s unpredictability may be an opportunity for Ukraine, but his actions are dictated by personal motives rather than strategic vision.
This opinion was expressed by Bruno Tertrais, deputy director of the Foundation for Strategic Research, in an interview with a Ukrinform correspondent.
“Trump’s words betrayed wounded pride—both personal and resentment at such an attitude toward the United States. He says: I gave him four chances, and he did nothing. What is striking is that this armor of self-confidence on all issues is very difficult to penetrate. Because the rest of the world has long perceived this as humiliation,” the expert explained.
According to him, Trump thinks exclusively about his image, not about how he is perceived.
“He only thinks about how he sees himself. For him, the issue of self-perception is fundamental. But if this leads to a change in the US position on Ukraine and Russia, then why not? But I am convinced that he is much more important to himself than America is. At the same time, Putin knows that he now has a certain “window of opportunity.” He understands that Trump can change course at any moment. Therefore, Putin will throw everything he can into the battle,” Tertrais said.
He stressed that it took Trump six months to change his position, but this should not be cause for great joy, as it is not the first time he has publicly expressed outrage at Putin’s actions.
“So far, only 17 air defense systems have been confirmed, although this morning the White House was discussing the supply of long-range offensive weapons. So we need to be very careful,” Tertrais clarified.
In his opinion, Trump’s confidence was also boosted by the presentation of the Patriots transfer as a good business project.
“In fact, this is a successful business move for him. That is why Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, was there, because he will coordinate this operation. So the Europeans will buy and transfer these systems to Ukraine, and they really don’t have much choice here, because these are American systems, and they can’t do anything without US permission. At the same time, this is another indication of how poorly intergovernmental coordination works in the Trump administration. One of the American officials was exposed in this process. I am talking about Elbridge Colby, whom I know well as a former analyst. It was he who blocked the transfer of weapons to Ukraine a few weeks ago. Because he is simply obsessed with confrontation with China. For him, everything has to go to Asia,” explained the international expert.
At the same time, he believes that Trump’s unpredictable behavior could be an opportunity for Ukraine.
“We all remember the unexpected bombing of Iran. He promised to wait 15 days, but bombed after 3 or 4 days. Can he surprise the world? Yes, absolutely. To deter, you have to be able to surprise. When asked about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan during the 2020 campaign, he said, “I don’t think Xi Jinping will do that.” Why? “Because he knows I’m completely crazy.” That’s a fantastic phrase. If there is anything positive to be found in Trump’s international behavior, it is his unpredictability to his opponents. So how far this crazy strategy will go, we will find out soon,” he concluded.
As reported, on Monday, July 14, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump said that Ukraine would receive billions of dollars in weapons.
Photo: White House
Source: French expert: Trump’s unpredictability could be opportunity for Ukraine
