‘Ending the War in 24 Hours?’ – Ukrainian Social Media Reacts to Trump’s Election Victory

Just after midnight Eastern Standard Time, US President-Elect Donald Trump took the stage at his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, to address supporters eagerly awaiting his victory speech.

“They said, ‘He will start a war.’ I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars,” he stated.

Despite his well-publicized claim in June 2023 to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours,” Trump did not mention Ukraine or President Volodymyr Zelensky in his speech and offered no further details on his pledge.

Kyiv Post has gathered a selection of reactions from Ukrainians to Trump’s election victory on social media.

Oleh Symoroz, an Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) volunteer who lost both legs in the war, wrote:

“We have to accept the choice of the American people and find ways to engage with the new administration. Our diplomatic corps will play an important role here.”

Symoroz added that Ukrainian officials should already be fully aware of Trump’s main positions and recognize the serious risks regarding military aid, saying: “In this context, decisions should be made right now to strengthen our defense-industrial complex using all state resources.”

Stanislav Bunyatov, a junior sergeant in the 24th Aidar Assault Battalion, reacted briefly on Telegram: “Last time, the Russians were practically mas*urbating over Trump, but they ended up disappointed.”

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The Ukrainian military regularly reports that Russian forces are resorting to ‘meat assaults,’ sending wounded or poorly trained fighters into battle as cannon fodder.

Ukrainian Telegram channel MILITARY commented: “Trump won. Are we counting on the war ending in 24 hours? Let’s keep supporting the army—it’s the only thing protecting us!”

Many Facebook users also posted about Trump’s “24-hour” claim, asking whether the war would end on time: “Has everyone set their timers for 24 hours?”

“There are 23 hours left until the war ends. Grandpa, do it!”

“Donald J. Trump, the 24 hours started. We are waiting.”

“Trump promised to end the war in a day. That’s why our company has ambitious plans for the weekend,” wrote Pavlo Kazarin, an AFU’s soldier and journalist, on Facebook.

Danylo Yakovlev, a servicemember, former Azov fighter, and public figure, commented, “Trump is a very unconventional person, but he’s definitely no fool, and understands the options he has regarding Ukraine.”

“He could either open the gates of American democracy — including missiles and equipment — to us, or, on the contrary, restrict everything as much as possible,” he added. “In Ukraine, it’s time to urgently optimize our internal resources and forces, or there will be serious trouble.”

Ukrainian politicians also voiced their opinions on Trump’s victory over social media.

Verkhovna Rada Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak wrote on Telegram: “Regarding the US, now there will be lots of analysis on what’s next and what this means for us. You can read it, but no one truly knows the answer yet.”

He said that Joe Biden’s administration will remain in office until Jan. 20, 2025, giving a nearly three-month window before Trump is inaugurated.

“This is a window of opportunity for Biden and the Democrats to take bold steps they might have avoided before,” Zheleznyak added.

People’s Deputy Mykola Knyazhytsky commented, “Trump, like Zelensky before him, believes he’ll be able to look Putin in the eye and solve all problems.” However, he emphasized that Ukraine has been preparing for a Republican victory, as reflected in President Zelensky’s victory plan.

According to Knyazhytsky, some parts of this plan — such as agreements with partners on Ukrainian minerals and the potential replacement of US troops in Europe with Ukrainian units — could appeal to Trump.

“There is much work ahead... Ultimately, the fate of the world will be decided by the Ukrainian soldier. But in such a scenario, our state administration needs to mature and take greater responsibility,” he added.

Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that Biden remains president for a few more months, giving him time to make key decisions that could benefit Ukraine.

“He could make Ukraine’s NATO membership inevitable and lift restrictions on the use of American weapons in the aggressor’s territory.”

People’s Deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko wrote on Telegram that the Republicans now “seem to take everything – the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.”

“What does this mean for us? There are both significant risks and great hopes. We have to push through.”

Andriy Yermak, head of President Zelensky’s office, congratulated Trump on his victory via Telegram. Yermak added that Zelensky and his team had a productive meeting with Trump in September, where they discussed Ukraine’s victory plan, the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the US, and potential pathways to end the war.

“The Presidents had a strong working relationship during Trump’s first term,” he wrote. “It is crucial that Ukraine has bipartisan support in the United States. ‘Peace through strength’ is exactly the approach needed now, as Russia and autocrats only understand the language of power. The aggressors must be brought back within a framework of justice.”