Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently claimed that Donald Trump would be open to significantly increasing the United States’ support for Ukraine, contradicting Trump’s own stance on the issue. In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, Pompeo and co-author Mark Urban propose a plan to increase US aid and tilt the balance of power in Ukraine’s favor. This plan includes ramping up sanctions on Russia, expanding US energy production to reduce Russia’s oil and gas revenues, and offering a $500 billion “lend-lease” fund for Ukraine to purchase arms. The authors also suggest that Ukraine should be given permission to use any kind of weapons to strike targets anywhere in Russia. They argue that this aggressive approach would force Moscow to accept Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the EU, as well as the “demilitarization” of Crimea, where Russia’s Black Sea fleet is based.
Pompeo’s proposal, however, has not been endorsed by Trump, who has repeatedly stated his desire for a more peaceful resolution to the conflict. In recent statements, Trump has emphasized the need for both sides to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and leads to prosperity. Despite this stance, Trump did express support for lending Ukraine money at a preferential rate and pushing NATO’s European member states to increase their defense spending.
Pompeo is just one of several Republican figures attempting to shape the policies of a potential second Trump presidency. In recent months, key advisers have presented various proposals for dealing with Ukraine, including some that stipulate Kiev will only receive more American weapons if it agrees to a ceasefire based on current battle lines and peace talks with Moscow.