The US vice president has stated that Ukraine must be involved in any diplomatic discussions regarding its future.
Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has ruled out talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve the Ukraine conflict unless Kyiv also participates in the negotiations.
In a CBS interview on Monday, she was asked if she would be willing to meet with the Russian leader to achieve peace in the conflict that has lasted nearly three years. “Not bilaterally without Ukraine, no. Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine,” she said.
When pressed on whether she would support Ukraine’s long-standing request to join NATO, she did not give a direct answer, stating that it was an issue “we will deal with if and when it arrives at that point,” adding “Right now, we are supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked aggression.”
Harris then criticized her Republican rival, Donald Trump, on the issue, stating that “if he were president, Putin would be sitting in Kiev right now.”
Trump has repeatedly pledged to end the fighting within 24 hours if elected president, even before taking office. While he has provided few details, his running mate J.D. Vance has suggested that a potential peace deal could involve barring Ukraine from joining NATO and establishing a “demilitarized zone” along the current front line.
Harris, however, dismissed Trump’s promise. “He talks about, oh, he can end it on day one. You know what that is? It’s about surrender,” she said.
The administration of US President Joe Biden, where Harris currently serves as vice president, has publicly adhered to the principle “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the West of essentially forbidding Kyiv from holding talks with Moscow, viewing Ukraine as a useful tool in the standoff with Russia.
In June, Putin stated that Russia was ready to immediately declare a ceasefire and begin peace negotiations as soon as Ukraine starts withdrawing troops from Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions and abandons its plans to join NATO. However, he later ruled out any talks as long as Ukrainian troops are occupying part of Kursk Region as well.
For his part, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has refused any “bargaining” with Russia over the four former territories and has maintained that he is certain Kyiv will one day join the US-led military bloc.