The West can help Ukraine secure a better peace settlement with Russia by appealing to one of Donald Trump’s characteristics, according to a former Downing Street aide.

The president-elect has long promised to end the Ukraine-Russia war within his first 24 hours back in the White House.

However, it’s not clear how he intends to do so, sparking fears he could pressure Kyiv to cede land to Moscow.

On BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts, said it all came down to “quickly” getting to Trump and appealing to his wish to look strong.

Ricketts explained: “While we should go on supporting Ukraine for as long as they’re prepared to keep fighting, I think it’s absolutely right that we start thinking about how this war ends in a way that preserves, safeguards, Ukraine’s interests.

“To me, it seems we have to get to Trump quickly to say, you like to end wars but you also like to look strong.

“The way to look strong is to make sure Ukraine comes out of this safeguarded.

“That means a deal first of all with Ukraine, not against it, not over its head.

“Secondly, that does not require it to cede sovereignty over the territory that Russia will continue to hold if there is a ceasefire, but that the status of it is left open.

“And crucially, that Ukraine gets to decide its security policy in the period after a ceasefire so it can continue to work towards Nato membership.”

He said this would all allow Ukraine to continue to “draw closer to the West” rather than be pulled into Russia’s sphere of influence.  

Tensions have risen in recent weeks since Russian president Vladimir Putin started to recruit North Korean troops to fight.

This move prompted the US, followed by the UK, to allow Kyiv to use its long-range missiles to fire at targets within Russia for the first time – a move Moscow then described as an escalation.

Putin then lowered Russia’s threshold for using nuclear weapons by changing his country’s nuclear doctrine.

Trump will officially take over the White House in January at his inauguration, and there are fears he could withdraw US consent for Ukraine to use its long-range missiles.

The president-elect has also praised Putin repeatedly over the years – once calling his invasion of Ukraine “savvy” and “genius” – and so could push for a peace deal which favours Moscow over Kyiv.