By now, it seems almost every global citizen has absorbed a prevailing belief: if Donald Trump had been president, Russia would never have invaded Ukraine. This idea permeates discussions about the ongoing war, framing Trump as a figure whose mere presence might have altered history.

Trump himself has fueled this narrative, expressing a fervent wish to halt the bloodshed and proposing measures to shore up Ukraine’s war-ravaged economy. Among these is a rare metals deal with the United States, envisioned as a way to offset some of the billions in financial aid poured into Ukraine’s defense efforts. Negotiations remain in flux, with specifics still hazy, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s rejection of an early draft drew sharp, scattered retorts from Trump about Ukraine’s embattled leader. Beneath this exchange lies a more telling story, one that demands a closer look at why Zelenskyy pushed back, exposing a skepticism carved from Ukraine’s tumultuous past and a plea for assurances that outlast any single administration.

On the surface, Zelenskyy’s dismissal could pass for a classic negotiating ploy—a refusal of the first offer to extract better terms. Yet this explanation feels too simple. Trump’s envoy reportedly pitched the deal as a means to deepen economic ties, suggesting that such bonds could serve as a bulwark against future Russian aggression. Ukraine, however, views this claim through a lens hardened by experience. For decades, American companies have planted roots in Ukraine, their presence heralded as a sign of robust economic partnership, promising mutual gains through investment, trade, and innovation. But history tells a different tale, one where this economic foothold failed to deter Russia’s invasions—first in 2014 and again with devastating force in 2022. This pattern of vulnerability now shapes Ukraine’s hesitance toward deals like the rare metals pact, particularly when they arrive without firm security guarantees,........

© Eurasia Review