Vice President Kamala Harris, in one of her first serious and unscripted interviews of the campaign, delivered an incoherent and rambling response when asked about what success looks like “in ending the war” in Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine after the Biden-Harris administration took power. Before the invasion, Russia indicated it was worried about the administration’s inviting overtures for Ukraine to join NATO, a political and military alliance of countries on the doorstep of Russia. It repeatedly claimed any expansion of NATO into Ukraine was a redline.
Reports suggest that the Biden-Harris administration refuse to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about a peace deal, as many Ukrainians continue to die in mandatory military service. “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” President Joe Biden said of Russian President Vladimir Putin in off-the-cuff remarks during a speech in 2022.
Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, promises to end the war if reelected.
“What does success look like in ending the war in Ukraine?” CBS correspondent Bill Whitaker asked Harris.
“There will be no success in ending that war without Ukraine and the UN Charter participating in what that success looks like,” Harris replied.
“Would you meet with President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a solution to the war in Ukraine,” Whitaker asked.
“Not bilaterally, without Ukraine, no Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine,” Harris answered.
“As president, would you support the effort to expand NATO to include Ukraine?” Whitaker followed up.
“Those are all issues that we will deal with if and when it arrives at that point right now we are supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked aggression.” Harris claimed.
During Harris’s recent meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, DC, Harris pledged to continue to help Ukraine fight Russia. The tone was much the same as her comments in 2022, when she told reporters in Munich, Germany that she “respects” Ukraine’s desire to become a part of NATO. “It doesn’t happen overnight,” she said:
And I’ll put that in context, because the obvious is also the point, which is that: and therefore no other country can tell anyone whether they should or should not join NATO. That should be their independent choice. That is the point of sovereignty. So I respect President Zelenskyy’s desire to be a member of NATO.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump promised to end the war if reelected. “It’s a shame but this is a war that should have never happened and we’ll get it solved. It is a complicated puzzle,” Trump said upon meeting with Zelensky in September. “Too many people dead. Too many beautiful cities.”
Zelensky described the meeting as “very productive” in a post on X. “I presented him our Victory Plan, and we thoroughly reviewed the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people,” Zelensky wrote. “Many details were discussed. I am grateful for this meeting. A just peace is needed.”
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former RNC War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.
