Reaching out to Trump: Top 4 politicians who can assist Ukraine with the new U.S. president.

The elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, stands out significantly from other political figures. A businessman, negotiator, and a person of mood and, in some ways, intuition. There are not many world leaders or prominent politicians with whom Trump has developed a "chemistry" over the past years. Even fewer are those who, besides maintaining good relations with the Republican, genuinely support Ukraine.

International observer for "Telegraph," Olga Kirillova discusses Western politicians who could potentially assist Ukraine in establishing a new chapter in its relationship with Donald Trump.

1. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

The former Prime Minister of the Netherlands became the head of the Alliance in early October 2024 and has made the thesis of unwavering support for Ukraine a cornerstone of his work, constantly reminding allies what they should focus on. Rutte's persistence is a breath of fresh air after the restraint of former Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"Our support for Ukraine has allowed it to continue its struggle, but we need to do more to change the trajectory of this conflict," Rutte stated recently.

He was one of the first to hold a personal meeting with elected President Trump. On November 22, he traveled to Florida to the so-called "winter White House" — the Republican’s Mar-a-Lago estate. A joint photo of the politicians, both smiling broadly as they enter the mansion, signals their still friendly relations.

In the past, Rutte was nicknamed "Trump's whisperer" for his ability to communicate with the American. Even in situations where it seemed impossible. A few years ago, Rutte managed to calm Trump during heated discussions at NATO headquarters and convince him that due to his leadership, European allies had increased their defense spending, although that was far from the case.

Another notable instance was during his visit to Washington in 2018 when Rutte interrupted Trump at a joint press conference. Trump suggested that the failure of US negotiations with the European Union over tariffs would be a "positive." "No, it won't be a positive," Rutte interjected, smiling in his characteristic manner.

Later, journalists heard him jokingly tell Trump, "Your table is tiny!" To which the US President replied, "I know," later adding, "I like this guy!"

There is hope that Mark Rutte will be able to demonstrate to Donald Trump the importance of NATO for the US (and vice versa) and the necessity of aiding Kyiv as an integral part of transatlantic security.

2. President of Poland Andrzej Duda

During the previous Republican administration, Duda managed to establish friendly relations with him and showcase Poland as a frontline partner of the States, a "hawk" country that spares no expense on its own defense. Associates of the elected US president praise the Poles for such a stance, explicitly stating that other European countries should follow suit.

In 2018, Warsaw made the largest military purchase in the country's history, acquiring Patriot air defense systems from the US for $4.75 billion. An American military contingent is also stationed in Poland, which, against the backdrop of Russian aggression, serves as a significant security factor for the Poles.

In November of this year, an American air defense base began operations in the northern part of the country. Therefore, Polish-American relations are about reliability and strength. It can be assumed that in Trump's view, this is a credit to Duda's leadership, who has been at the helm of Poland for nine years.

Currently, the Polish president is one of the few European leaders who announced a meeting with Donald Trump even before the inauguration in January. He has also maintained regular contact with the American politician up until his election victory.

For instance, they met in New York in April of this year. Their conversation lasted 2.5 hours. "It was a friendly meeting in a very pleasant atmosphere," Duda said afterward.

Now, the Polish leader has adopted a fairly effective advocacy strategy for aid to Ukraine while primarily protecting his country's interests. Duda reminds that the US has already made a significant financial contribution to support Kyiv — and that Trump "must respect this money."

"I cannot imagine that President Donald Trump would allow Russia to destroy Ukraine… Ukraine, into which American taxpayers, whose money President Trump will soon be accountable for when he takes office, have invested such enormous sums. This is a matter of respecting American taxpayers' money," he said at a conference with the NATO Secretary General.

The politician added that during the upcoming meeting with Trump, he would discuss Ukraine, including through the lens of security for Poland and other neighboring countries.

Duda will leave his position in the spring of 2025; however, former presidents, especially at such a young age (Duda is only 52), do not "retire." Therefore, Kyiv should not lose contact with him.

3. Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

British ex-prime ministers do not lose their influence after leaving office. Johnson is a person who is equally welcomed in both Kyiv and at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.

Although Johnson's relationship with Trump has seen its ups and downs, since 2016 they have become friendly due to the interests of both politicians. The Republican himself eventually described Johnson as the "British Trump." Johnson and his team have always understood that "Trump can change his mind about anyone at any moment and were prepared for that."

After meeting with Trump in July of this year, it was Johnson who approached the media with a controversial peace plan for Ukraine.

In it, Johnson proposed to drop the demand for Ukraine to regain its 1991 borders and, after the war, provide "special protective measures" for the Russian-speaking population. Among the favorable points for Kyiv were the permission for American weapons to strike deep into Russia and swift accession to NATO and the EU.

"I believe that Trump can bring this (the war in Ukraine – Ed.) to an end – on the right terms for Ukraine and the West. I emphasize that I cannot be certain about what exactly he would do if elected. But this is what he could do," Johnson wrote at the time.

He argued that Ukraine's defeat would lead to enormous long-term costs for America and the world.

Recently, the ex-prime minister once again expressed the opinion that Trump would not allow Putin to win. "It's interesting how a guy like Donald Trump can start his mandate with capitulation, humiliation of the West, NATO, and himself if he gives Putin a chance to defeat Ukraine?" – said he in an interview.

This is precisely the rhetoric of "peace through strength" that could resonate with the elected president.

4. Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni

Meloni's allies in the far-right party "Brothers of Italy" consider her a "natural interlocutor" for the elected President of the US in Europe. They describe her as a leader "capable of persuading others through understanding."

According to media reports, Giorgia Meloni had previously regularly participated in political events in the US where Trump spoke and openly praised him as an inspiration for Italian politics. In 2018, she even invited former Republican advisor Steve Bannon to speak at the "Brothers of Italy" party conference.

In addition to her long-standing connections with Republican circles in the US, Meloni has recently strengthened ties with billionaire Elon Musk, for whom Trump prepared a good position in his administration.

Meloni first met Musk in Rome in June of last year, then invited him to participate in her political party "Atreju" in December. During the event, Musk supported her tough stance on combating illegal immigration (a problem that unites the US and Italy).

In September of this year, it was Musk who presented Meloni with an honorary award from the Atlantic Council in New York. She was recognized for her "innovative role as the first female Prime Minister of Italy, her strong support for the European Union and the transatlantic alliance, as well as her chairmanship of the G7 in 2024."

Fortunately, Meloni, who has every chance of becoming Trump's main European ally, consistently advocates for supporting Ukraine.

Moreover, when Musk presented her with the aforementioned award, the Prime Minister seized the moment to appeal to Republican traditions and remind everyone of the importance of defending Ukraine.

"We know how to meet the impossible challenges of this era only when we learn from the lessons of the past. We defend Ukraine because we know the price of a world where the law of the strongest prevails," she stated.

"To those who are enamored with authoritarianism, let me say very clearly: we will stand up for our values. President Reagan once said that first and foremost, we must realize that no weapon in the world is as formidable as the will and moral courage of