From Rubio’s Campaign to Criticizing Trump’s Ukraine Policy, I Can Work With the US President Without Agreeing With Him
Nov. 11, 2026 – In politics, law, and journalism… words matter.
As a journalist who has documented wartime stories inside Ukraine as well as having recently run for US Congress, I wholly understand this.
Many on the right are distancing themselves from Trump but not openly admitting it. I will– I am one of Trump’s most avid critics on the right within the Ukrainian American community… Not because I abhorrently loathe him nor because I don’t want to work with him….
In fact, I want to work with our President and encourage him to do the right thing on Ukraine. That’s part of the reason I ran for Congress in the 2026 Midterms.
That being said, during my recent campaign for Congress in Southwest Florida, the question of my historical position on Trump came into question.
And I want to come forward to set the record straight regarding my true political history regarding Trump.
In 2016, I was an intern for Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign, but when he didn’t get the presidential nomination, I was recruited from there to join the Trump campaign in an ultra-republican district in Southwest Florida.
During this period, it was not yet publicly known that the FBI had opened counterintelligence investigations involving individuals associated with the Trump campaign and russian election interference.
By 2020 I was between pregnancies so I wasn’t involved in politics or elections.
And by 2024, I had been to Ukraine and back and was involved in several volunteer activities to respond to the war effort – including military fundraising and community advocacy on Capitol Hill.
I didn’t endorse, campaign, vote for, or call for anyone to vote for Donald J Trump during the 2024 elections.
Back then, I gave several interviews an analysis which leaned hopeful toward a shift in administration.
However, giving a favorable analysis on a position does not equate to support for a political candidate…
Reality is, back then many in the Ukrainian American community were hopeful that a change in the US admin would be positive for Ukraine.
Since Trump won the elections in 2024, I’ve retracted some of m earlier statements.
But I have continue my public commentary, in the American media this entire time. Here’s just a brief chronology of statements published by credible news outlets in both the US and Ukraine since Trump’s second term:
In an Aug. 16, 2025 letter titled “Invader Putin in Alaska” published by the News-Press:
“I just got back from my volunteer mission in Kyiv and Odesa Ukraine, where I was under Russian attack. And I wanna know why is Trump letting land invader Putin come to Alaska to negotiate territories of Ukraine? . . . No deals with terrorists, and stay off our land.”
In a March 8, 2025 letter titled “Betrayal, blood on our hands” published by Yahoo News:
“Biden gave Ukraine bits and pieces of military aid, betraying our security duty to Europe by slow rolling weapons resulting in massive loss of life. The U.S. was already failing our ally. And then? Rather than bringing our partnership in line, Trump instead removed us further from alliance by cutting off Intelligence and defense aid. Directly promising the death of our friends, with zero commitment of end of war.”
In a Feb 27, 2026 article by Cape Coral Breeze, titled “Support of Ukraine benefits the U.S. as well”
”During President Trump’s first year of office this second time around, military aid to Ukraine decreased by 99%. And do not let Trump’s mouthpieces fool you into thinking that this drop in aid droplets is in anyway compensated by the new PURL program where weapons would be “sold” to NATO to then sell to Ukraine. . . When it comes to critical defense partnership, the Trump admin has been more lethargic than the Biden admin.”
In an August 17, 2026 article by LIGA.net titled “Hundreds of millions on self-promotion”: Congressional candidate calls out ineffectiveness of US lobbyists.”
“Zakhvatayev spoke separately about the position of the administration under Donald Trump regarding Ukraine. She believes that the recent shifts in the US President’s position are primarily linked to the successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield—specifically, strikes on Russian territory and operations in Crimea.
In her assessment, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio remains the only person in Trump’s inner circle who is currently effectively conveying arguments regarding Ukraine to the president.”
These are but some of my widely published and evolving positions on Trump… As you can see, I have no qualms in explaining my public record to journalists and critics, especially when facts and positions are represented accurately…
For me, this runs deeper than winning an election. This is about trust in our institutions, especially our media – and refusing to accept a false frame over myself, a principle which has become embedded into my worldview through my work in Ukraine’s fight against russia.
-Alexandra Zakhvatayev
Kyiv Free Press
