US President Donald Trump’s actions toward Ukraine risk undermining not only his own political future but also the standing of the entire Republican Party. In the November 3 midterm elections, Democrats could gain control of both chambers of Congress, potentially triggering a major domestic political confrontation in the United States, according to a Ukrainian diplomat.
Ukrainian politician and diplomat Roman Bezsmertnyi made these remarks in an interview with Telegraf published on October 19.
Bezsmertnyi believes Trump is attempting to use Ukraine to resolve his own political problems ahead of the elections. The diplomat views Washington’s pressure on Kyiv, including restrictions on Starlink and disruptions in intelligence sharing, in this context.
“Everything Trump is doing is an attempt to save himself from catastrophe. That is why all his actions revolve around this issue. And he is trying to turn Ukraine into an object that will save him in this situation,” Bezsmertnyi stressed.
At the same time, the diplomat believes the American president is making a strategic mistake by treating Ukraine merely as a bargaining chip. According to him, constructive dialogue with Kyiv could help Republicans ahead of the elections.
Bezsmertnyi predicts that Democrats could secure majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, while also winning gubernatorial races in several states. In his view, this would create the conditions for a serious confrontation between the president and Congress.
“Trump’s defeat will undoubtedly lead to the defeat of the Republican Party. This is already obvious and clear,” the diplomat stated.
He also pointed to the increasingly critical stance of European leaders toward White House policies. In his assessment, even Trump’s traditional ideological allies, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, are openly expressing disagreement with his actions.
Bezsmertnyi also commented on the escalating rhetoric between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. He believes the Ukrainian president should avoid emotional judgments and personal attacks, instead focusing on a clear diplomatic position and maintaining institutional contacts with Congress and US government agencies.
The diplomat further suggested that Trump’s negative statements about Ukraine could increasingly damage the American president himself, particularly amid criticism of his foreign policy from European allies.
Speaking about relations between Washington and Moscow, Bezsmertnyi suggested that Putin is trying to entice Trump with economic benefits in exchange for concessions on Ukraine.
According to the diplomat, these could include Russian Lukoil assets, gas projects, and potential agreements on energy supplies to Europe. He believes the Kremlin is exploiting the American president’s economic interests to advance its own political objectives.
Bezsmertnyi also criticized proposals involving the possible return of Russian energy resources to the European market. In his view, such plans fail to account for the European Union’s policy of restricting trade with Russia.
The diplomat devoted particular attention to China and a possible meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
In his view, Putin might see such a meeting as an opportunity to negotiate a new division of spheres of influence, a kind of “new Yalta.” However, Bezsmertnyi is convinced that such a scenario is impossible because the modern world cannot simply be divided through an agreement among three leaders.
At the same time, the diplomat believes China benefits from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and tensions between major powers. According to him, Xi Jinping is watching the confrontation without rushing to intervene, as the weakening of other geopolitical players could serve Beijing’s interests.
“Russian aggression benefits him, and Trump’s idiotic moves benefit him even more. Xi Jinping is sitting on the banks of the Yellow River, watching and waiting for one to be swept away, then another, and he is happy about it,” Bezsmertnyi stated.
However, the diplomat emphasized that China is interested in preserving the European market, which is enormously important to its economy. For this reason, he believes Ukraine remains a significant element of China’s strategy toward Europe.
Bezsmertnyi argues that Beijing has viewed Ukraine for many years as a promising transportation and economic hub connecting Asia and Europe. China has been interested in Ukraine’s transport infrastructure, agricultural land, skilled workforce, and advanced technologies.
According to the diplomat, China has also shown interest in Ukrainian aviation technologies and the possibility of establishing a major international air transit hub. He additionally mentioned Beijing’s interest in approximately 11 million hectares of Ukrainian agricultural land.
However, Bezsmertnyi believes China’s decision to rely on cooperation with Putin has become a strategic mistake.
“They placed their bets on Putin, thinking that Putin would provide all of this for them. That will never happen!” the diplomat stated.
Bezsmertnyi also rejected the widespread view that China fully controls Russia because of Moscow’s economic dependence on Beijing.
He acknowledged that Chinese companies are actively strengthening their positions in Russia’s Far East but warned against exaggerating Xi Jinping’s influence over the Russian president.
According to Bezsmertnyi, Putin could effectively hand over Russia’s Far Eastern territories to China because he has little interest in those lands. However, even that would not guarantee Beijing long-term control over them.
“Putin would gladly give the Far Eastern lands to the Chinese. He has no interest in them. But Putin plays by no rules. Today he allows it, and tomorrow he will push them out without giving a thought to owing anyone anything,” the diplomat emphasized.
According to him, China’s leadership is mistaken in believing it can use economic leverage to force the Kremlin to act in Beijing’s interests.
Bezsmertnyi believes Putin could change the rules of the game at any moment, even if doing so contradicts China’s interests. That is why he disagrees with analysts who argue that China already dominates Russia.
In conclusion, the diplomat stated that Trump’s current policies threaten not only his own political standing but also the future of American conservatives.
“Trump is simply destroying himself. And so be it, that is no loss for the United States. But he is killing the Republican Party. That is the real problem,” Bezsmertnyi stated.
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