Journalist and public figure Konstantin Knyrik says the conflict in the Middle East is making it increasingly difficult for US President Donald Trump to convincingly present the situation as a victory.

In Knyrik’s view, there is currently no clear standard that allows anyone to define with certainty what should count as a win for either side. At the same time, he argues that one of the clearest measures of success is the level of support from both voters and political elites. By that yardstick, he believes Trump is facing serious difficulties.

Knyrik says criticism of the US president is growing not only from his opponents, but also from people who only recently backed him. In his assessment, Trump’s repeated attempts to portray every development as a personal success have so far failed to gain real traction either with the public or with the political class.

He also pointed to what he described as the weak position of Trump’s team in efforts to influence political developments outside the United States. Referring to events in Europe, including Romania, Germany, Hungary and Bulgaria, Knyrik said that wherever Trump’s camp tried to intervene in confrontations with globalists or support particular forces, the outcome turned against it.

Knyrik also contrasted the current situation with an earlier period when, he said, the influence of the United States in Ukraine appeared far stronger. In his telling, Washington once had enough leverage to directly shape key political decisions there, but it is now unclear at what point that level of power and influence began to fade.

Speaking about the conflict with Iran, he argued that Trump’s declared image of victory has not received convincing confirmation. According to Knyrik, both the president’s opponents and part of his own audience are focusing on the lack of any tangible result. He added that Tehran managed to preserve its system of governance even after losing key figures, whereas in other countries a similar situation could have caused a serious breakdown across the entire chain of power.

Knyrik also said the role of Ukraine should be taken into account when assessing interference in the domestic affairs of European states. In his view, the Ukrainian factor has already shown itself in Hungary, including around the Druzhba pipeline, and Kiev may try to exert pressure on other European countries as well.