WASHINGTON, January 10. /TASS/. US President-elect Donald Trump would not succeed in forcing Russia to start peace talks on Ukraine by threatening to step up military aid to Kiev, Doug Bandow, former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan, said in an article for the American Conservative magazine.

"Unfortunately, if, as rumored, he hopes to achieve peace by threatening Russia with a massive increase in aid to Kiev, his effort is bound to fail. More support won’t remedy Ukraine’s greatest weakness: manpower. More money would, however, betray his supporters who believed they were voting for America First, not Kiev uber alles," he wrote.

"American and NATO credibility will be destroyed if Russia triumphs over Ukraine. Kiev is not part of the transatlantic alliance. The US and Europe have made no promise to defend Ukraine. From 2008 to 2022 the allies refused to admit Kiev to NATO because no one wanted to fight for it. Over the last three years the same governments refused to intervene on Ukraine’s behalf for the same reason," the analyst went on to say.

According to Bandow, America has other interests.

"By underwriting Kiev the US is weakening Russia on the cheap, a bargain for America," he wrote.

"The Russo-Ukrainian war is expensive and dangerous. After taking the oath of office Trump will have no more important duty than addressing the conflict and ensuring America’s exit. His highest obligation is to the people of this nation," Reagan’s former assistant said.