A Critical Response to Andreas Umland's "Can Donald Trump End the Russia-Ukraine War?

This paper offers a critical response to Andreas Umland's article "Can Donald Trump End the Russia-Ukraine War?" published in The National Interest (August 11, 2025). While acknowledging Umland's long-standing contribution to the Ukraine debate, the paper argues that his analysis overlooks key structural realities. Drawing on personal experience from Libya's 2011 revolution and subsequent NATO intervention, the author highlights parallels between Ukraine and Libya as smaller nations caught in the ruthless games of great powers. The paper underscores three neglected points: (1) the lingering Trump–Zelenskyy grudge stemming from the Hunter Biden affair, (2) Trump's transactional approach to Ukraine, including negotiations over rare earth minerals, and (3) the illusion of NATO/EU membership amid entrenched Ukrainian corruption. It concludes by asserting that Ukraine is both a victim of Russian aggression and Western illusions, and that future diplomacy requires moving beyond outdated models toward a "Third Generation in International Relations" that integrates technology, design thinking, and ethical innovation.