‘Trump’s goal is to reach agreements with Moscow and Beijing; Kyiv is a secondary issue’ — What to Expect in 2026?

According to political commentator Hakob Badalyan, establishing peace in Ukraine is not a central priority for US President Donald Trump, who has proposed a 28‑point peace plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Badalyan notes that Trump’s main objective is to secure agreements with Russia and China—developments that will inevitably influence the Ukrainian question.

“In the new US national security strategy, the European Union is described in harsher terms than Russia or China. Importantly, Russia and China are not defined as enemies or threats. This administration is working to form a club of agreements with those two countries, and if such agreements are finalized, the Ukrainian issue will automatically become a matter for resolution,” Badalyan said in Alpha News’ “What to Expect in 2026?” project.

He believes Trump’s challenge is to maintain power, and in doing so, his only potential allies are Russia and China.

“For the US administration, Russia and China remain geopolitical rivals, yet they are also partners in reaching consensus on a shared philosophy—including solutions to America’s internal problems. In my view, Trump is striving for comprehensive agreements on global redistribution and rules, and we are witnessing that negotiation process. I do not think Trump’s talks in the US with Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation, are about the Ukrainian conflict. Negotiations with an envoy for investment and economic cooperation will not be about war. This indicates that the Putin–Trump dialogue is focused on the global agenda, with Ukraine as a secondary issue that will be subject to those broader agreements,” he noted.