The United States surprised us once again from late 2025 to early 2026. On December 5, the National Security Strategy (NSS 2025) was released, explicitly stating a focus on the Western Hemisphere in the form of the “Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.” And in the early hours of January 3, the policy outlined in NSS 2025 was swiftly implemented as a military operation. The U.S. military’s “Operation Absolute Resolve” against Venezuela concluded with greatest success, and the detention of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife became the shocking news of the New Year.

    While new “surprises” have emerged, persistent problems remain. One such problem is the “war” that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The war has been going on for four years now, with fierce fighting still ongoing between the two countries, and no end in sight. 

    The so-called Western countries have been supporting Ukraine which has been invaded. Among these, support from the United States is truly overwhelming, and it would be no exaggeration to claim that Ukraine would be unable to function without it. According to the latest data from the Kiel Institute, which summarizes country-specific allocations for Ukraine from January 24, 2022, to October 31, 2025, the United States alone accounts for approximately 35% of the total.

    However, the situation surrounding the United States has changed significantly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The biggest change, needless to say, is the presidential transition. At noon on January 20, 2025, the “master of the White House” transitioned from Democrat Joe Biden to Republican Donald Trump. The “man of fear” has returned after four years.

    So, how has U.S. support for Ukraine changed or continued in response? This paper examines the current state of U.S. assistance to Ukraine and the Mid-term context it creates, and derives the implications for understanding “Trump 2.0.”

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