National security adviser Mike Waltz and special representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg aim to leverage U.S. power to force Vladimir Putin to back down.
However, others suggest cutting the aid the U.S. has provided to Ukraine during the Biden administration to speed up the conflict's end.
Critics argue this approach would disarm Ukraine, potentially forcing it to surrender to Russia.
Before becoming vice president, then-Senator J.D. Vance was a vocal critic of U.S. financial support for Ukraine, calling the Ukrainian government "the most corrupt in Europe, and perhaps the world."
Kellogg, speaking on NBC, said Trump's national security team is aligned. "The president will use, if necessary, all the levers of American power to end the bloody carnage of the last three years," he said.
Vance's press secretary declined to comment on his stance regarding U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Trump has warned that he will impose tariffs, sanctions, and taxes on Russian goods sold to the U.S. and other countries if Putin refuses to negotiate an end to the war.
However, critics point out that U.S. trade with Russia has sharply declined, making tariffs less effective. In 2021, before Russia's invasion, trade amounted to nearly $30 billion.
"This is complete nonsense... We’ve completely decoupled the U.S. economy from the Russian economy. So our ability to harm Russia with tariffs is negligible," said a former Biden administration national security official.
Another possible strategy is for Trump to use Russia's frozen assets to help replenish Ukraine's weapons stockpiles.
Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor suggested that $300 billion in Russian reserves held in European and U.S. banks could significantly support Ukraine's efforts.
“What Trump could do is pressure the Europeans to seize those reserves and put them in the Ukrainian account, allowing Ukraine to buy weapons from the U.S. and maintain its government,” he said, noting that Trump understands Russia’s fragile economy, which he believes gives him leverage over Putin.
Some Ukraine aid supporters worry that Trump might abandon Ukraine if he returns to office, citing his past favorable stance toward Putin and suggesting he might broker a deal favorable to Russia.
While Trump previously hesitated when asked whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war, some of his critics now see his team as "not selling out Ukraine."
"I think he's starting to realize how difficult this is to resolve and that Russia won't be constructive unless we apply more pressure," said a U.S. official with expertise on Ukraine and Russia.
The official added that Trump's shift in rhetoric is due to the transition from campaigning to governing.
"The obstacle to peace is not Ukraine. I think it's starting to dawn on him, and he also understands the political and strategic consequences."