Zelenskyy, Nato on edge as Biden's prospects dim and Trump's return looms

As US President Joe Biden faces pressure to drop out of the presidential race, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskkyy braces himself for a possible Trump presidency. In an interview with BBC, the Ukrainian leader said that working with Former US President Donald  Trump, if he came back to power, would be “hard work”.

The proclamation from Zelenskyy came a day after Trump announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate in the 2024 presidential elections. In the past, the 39-year-old Republican Senator said “he doesn’t care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other”.

Hence, Vance’s nomination has been renewed fears that if Trump comes back to the Oval Office, the US’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, may change in Moscow’s favour.

‘It will be hard work but we are hard workers’:  Zelenskyy 

While the Ukrainian president said that it would be a “hard task” to deal with a Trump presidency, he made it clear that Ukraine is ready to work hard for it. “Maybe he really doesn’t understand what goes on in Ukraine, so we have to work with the United States,” Zelenskyy told BBC.

In the past, Trump said that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours if he came back to power. While accepting his GOP nomination on the final day of the Republican National Convention (RNC), Trump pledged to end all the global crises including the Russia-Ukraine war if he came back to power.

“I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created—including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine, and the war caused by the attack on Israel," Trump averred.

A meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump

The comments from the two world leaders came amid reports that Zelenskyy and Trump are planning to discuss the ongoing conflict in a phone call.

According to the two sources familiar with the matter, the call could occur on Friday, CNN reported. It is pertinent to note that the call in question could mark the first conversation between the two world leaders after Trump left the White House.

Last week, Trump met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the second time in six months. The meeting came less than two weeks after Orban met with Putin in Moscow. During his RNC address, Trump went on to laud the Hungarian premier for calling him “tough”.

NATO and Europe brace itself for Trump’s presidency 

While Biden has yet to tap out from the presidential race, Nato and Europe are already bracing themselves for a possible Trump presidency.

Earlier today, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg insisted that Europe must not fall into the trap of creating a “self-fulfilling prophecy” that Nato would die if Trump came to power. “I worked with him for four years,” he said.

When asked if Trump has changed since he left the office, Stoltenberg did not answer the question. “I think it’s important not to create self-fulfilling prophecies in a way that assumes that a new administration in the United States will mean the end of Nato. There were concerns about that also in 2016. The reality was that Nato is stronger after four years … more troops, high readiness," he added.

In the past several European leaders have expressed concerns about the prospects of Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, taking a controlling position in foreign policy if Trump wins in November. Vance has been the leading opponent of America’s new aid package to Ukraine.

So are they losing hopes for a Biden win? 

As America inches closer to November polls, several  Western nations started contemplating how they will deal with a Trump presidency. This begs the question of whether the US allies are losing hope on Biden.

There have been growing concerns over Biden’s age and his mental acuity. Biden’s campaign also took a major toll after the President announced that he was diagnosed with COVID-19. Hence, the president had to cancel his all campaign events and go in isolation.

Amid the chaos, a Washington Post report suggested that former president Barrack Obama has told allies in recent days that Biden’s path to victory has been greatly diminished. The report mentioned that Obama has spoken with Biden only once since the doomed presidential debate.

During the conversation, Obama emphasised his concern is protecting Biden and his legacy and has pushed back against the idea that he alone can influence Biden’s decision-making process. Obama has also expressed worries about polls moving away from Biden.

Meanwhile, some reports also suggested that former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi privately told Biden that polling records show that Biden will not be able to defend Trump.

With Biden’s close friends and international allies casting doubts over his capabilities to run, it will be interesting to see if Biden will continue in the race or not.

With inputs from agencies.