It's personal by Timothy Davies

The world loves to spin grand narratives about geopolitics, power struggles, and hidden economic interests. Every war, every alliance, every betrayal is supposedly fueled by a shadowy labyrinth of oil, gas, lithium, or the all-too-familiar Russian aggression. But in the case of Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, none of those high-level chess moves matter. Because for Trump, the downfall of the Ukrainian president isn't about global strategy, it's about personal revenge, pure and simple.

We often make the mistake of looking at Trump through the lens of political ideology or strategic maneuvering. That’s a fool’s errand. Trump doesn’t operate like other leaders. He doesn't care about NATO strategies, democracy, or even maintaining a coherent foreign policy doctrine. His presidency was never about America’s interests; it was about Trump’s interests. And one thing is certain Zelenskyy did humiliate him, and in Trump's world, humiliation demands vengeance.

Let’s rewind to 2019, when the infamous phone call between Trump and Zelenskyy surfaced. It wasn’t just a scandal, it was a humiliation. Trump, the self-proclaimed master of deals, had tried to muscle the Ukrainian president into digging up dirt on Joe Biden in exchange for military aid. Zelenskyy didn’t comply. Worse, the world found out about it. The transcript of the call was released, and suddenly, the tough-guy, dealmaker image Trump had cultivated was exposed for what it really was, desperate and petty extortion. That phone call led to Trump’s first impeachment, marking a stain on his presidency that he has never forgiven.

For a man obsessed with image, this was more than a political inconvenience, it was a personal betrayal. Zelenskyy didn’t play along. He didn’t bow to Trump’s pressure. He didn’t deliver the “favor” that Trump had demanded. And in Trump’s mind, that act of defiance was unforgivable.

Trump’s world is black and white: there are loyalists, and there are traitors. He doesn’t forget slights, and he doesn’t forgive those who make him look weak. Look at how he still rants about Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and even members of his own party who dared to oppose him. The grudge against Zelenskyy is no different, except that this one has international stakes.

Now, with a potential return to the White House looming in 2024, Trump sees an opportunity. The war in Ukraine has dragged on, American support is wavering, and the Republican Party now under his thumb, has increasingly pushed against sending aid to Kyiv. The pieces are falling into place. If Trump regains power, Ukraine can forget about American support. Not because it serves some greater geopolitical interest for the U.S., but because Trump wants Zelenskyy to suffer. He wants him weakened, desperate, humiliated, just as Trump felt when his impeachment trial played out for the world to see.

Of course, many will argue that Trump’s hostility toward Zelenskyy is just another extension of his love affair with Vladimir Putin. And yes, Trump has always admired strongmen, envied their unchecked power, and resented the constraints of democracy. But in this case, Putin is a secondary player. If backing Ukraine meant humiliating one of his personal enemies, Trump would probably consider it, if only for a moment before his ego took over.

It’s no coincidence that MAGA Republicans, now more loyal to Trump than to conservative principles, have increasingly adopted anti-Ukraine rhetoric. They parrot lines about “endless wars” and “protecting American interests,” but the real message is simple: Trump hates Zelenskyy, so we hate Zelenskyy. It’s that personal. It’s that petty.

When we look at world leaders, we tend to overanalyze their decisions, assuming complex motivations rooted in history, economy, or ideology. With Trump, the answer is usually much simpler. He wants revenge. Zelenskyy made him look bad. That’s all it takes.

So if Trump gets his second term, expect Ukraine to be abandoned, not because of Putin, not because of some grand strategy, but because Trump is a man who never lets go of a grudge. And for Zelenskyy, that could mean the end.