Ihor Liski points out that a major reshaping of the global security architecture is underway. European security, Trump’s stance on NATO, and the Middle East—where Russia and Iran are beneficiaries of the ongoing conflict—have all converged along Ukraine’s frontline. For Ukraine, Liski says, the core issue is that this struggle is existential for Putin, as Russia’s future is at stake. Therefore, Liski stresses, it would be naive to think that “we can just go, look Trump in the eye, and offer him something.” This, he says, is a complex, high-stakes situation that demands serious engagement.
“Looking at things realistically, I see reasons for cautious optimism. There is a real window of opportunity to end the war. The outcome may not be as decisively victorious as we had hoped, but we must be pragmatic. Frankly, we should reject this cynical approach of exhausting Russia with Ukrainian lives sacrificed to Russian troops. What we need is a concrete, realistic plan to end the war. Otherwise, not only might we fail to regain all our territories, but we could also risk a total collapse as a country. Some see an advantage in using Ukraine to weaken Russia, but that is not in our best interest,” Liski states.
This window of opportunity to end the war requires not just diplomacy but also an economic strategy. According to Liski, Europe must be a priority partner in this effort, as European nations—especially Germany, France, and Britain—stand to benefit most from an end to the conflict in Ukraine and could play active roles in peace-building.
"It's the same story with the Americans. They need to be told specifically: if Russia suddenly captures major cities in Ukraine, in five years these same Ukrainians will be fighting against Europe, against NATO, against American soldiers, along with North Korean soldiers. And this scenario, no matter what anyone says, is still real. Neither America nor Europe can allow this to happen, because then they will lose everything," the businessman said.
In general, he also noted that in communicating with partners, both European and American, we need to move from slogans and arguments about the struggle for values and the democratic world to specifics.
"We need real projects, big projects, interesting projects that we can talk about with Americans and Europeans. With the involvement of American investments, technologies in the restoration of critical materials, for which a big game is now starting: from lithium, graphite, titanium, to energy issues and food security," Liski said.
And Ukrainians, he said, must do their part: "Be strong, united, adults, ready for anything. Build our economy, our army and look after our interests, and the world will help us, because the truth is on our side."
"Trump's victory removes the uncertainty of the main player in the world. If Trump says that he is going to end this war during his presidency, it means he believes in it. And we have to use this window of opportunity to be strong on all fronts, including diplomatic and economic, to have arguments and do our homework," the businessman said.