Kiev ‘disturbed’ by Trump’s Pompeo snub – The Economist

Officials in Ukraine are “disturbed” by US President-elect Donald Trump’s decision not to offer a post in his future administration to Mike Pompeo, whom they see as sympathetic to their cause, The Economist reported on Tuesday.

The British publication reported from Kiev on the current mood in society and how it could affect Vladimir Zelensky’s authority. People in Ukraine are reportedly closely monitoring Trump’s selections for his incoming cabinet.

Pompeo, a national security hawk, served as CIA director and then as secretary of state in the first Trump administration. Kiev officials see him as an ally in their fight against Russia, so Trump’s announcement last Saturday that he would not be part of the new government is “a very negative development,” one of the sources told The Economist.

“The worry now is that Mr. Trump’s offer to Ukraine will come to resemble something closer to ideas put forward by J.D. Vance, the incoming vice president,” the report added, referring to remarks about the Ukraine conflict made by Trump’s running mate.

Vance has said that funding the Ukrainian war effort is not in the American interest, and that Kiev will have to make concessions to reach a truce with Moscow – probably meaning a loss of territory and no NATO membership. Zelensky has called the incoming vice president “too radical” on the issue, drawing criticism from the Republican Party.

Trump has claimed that he could end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours after taking office. Zelesnky’s team is reportedly trying to win over the president-elect by pitching continued support for Kiev as a way to undermine China, by denying it access to Ukrainian mineral resources.

According to The Economist, Pompeo has not alienated Trump, unlike many former members of his administration, who turned into vocal critics of the Republican leader after he left office in 2021, and may have been excluded for ideological reasons.