Former U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are shown on screen during a debate performance at the Cameo Art House Theater on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris entered Tuesday night’s debates in pursuit of the same goal, a moment that will help them gain an edge in a race that polls show is essentially closing. Photographer: Allison Joyce/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Allison Joyce | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, clashed repeatedly over Russia, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine during Tuesday night’s closely watched Presidential Debate.
Harris told former US president Trump that Putin would “eat you for dinner” and said that if a Republican became president, “Putin would be sitting in Kiev right now.”
He also accused Trump of being ready to abandon Ukraine after two and a half years of war and a massive US military funding effort.
“Understand why our European allies and our NATO allies are so grateful that you’re no longer president and we understand the importance of the greatest military alliance the world has ever known, which is NATO,” Harris said during the ABC News presidential debate. according to the transcript of the debate.
“What have we done to protect Zelensky and the ability of the Ukrainians to fight for their independence? Otherwise, Putin would have set his sights on the rest of Europe in Kiev. Starting with Poland,” he said before describing Putin. a dictator who will eat you for dinner.”
Trump dismissed Harris’ comments, claiming that if he was in office in 2022, he would not have started a war and told the audience that Putin would “sit in Moscow and not lose 300,000 men and women to war.” .
The exact figures of war victims are unknown. Neither Russia nor Ukraine release such sensitive information, but U.S. intelligence last year estimated that nearly 315,000 Russian soldiers — the vast majority of them men — had been killed or wounded in the war so far.
Trump has repeatedly hinted that he may cut off military funding to Ukraine and seek an immediate end to the conflict, prompting Kiev officials to worry that this policy would mean he would cede occupied territories to Russia as part of the deal.
Then President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a joint press conference after the summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland.
Chris McGrath | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Trump was asked several times Tuesday night whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war or whether it was in the United States’ interests for Kiev to win. He insisted that he wanted the war to stop in order to save people’s lives and that he would try to reach an agreement with Russia. He previously said that if he became president, he would end the war within 24 hours, but he did not say how he would do it.
On Tuesday, he again did not say how a deal would be reached or whether it would involve Ukraine handing over occupied territories to Russia – a concession Kiev has previously refused to make.
“I think it’s in the best interest of the United States to end this war and just get it done. OK. Negotiate a settlement. Because we need to prevent all this destruction of human life,” he said. Controversy over the transcript.
“I want the war to stop. I want to save the lives of people who have been needlessly… killed by the millions. It’s millions. It’s worse than the numbers you’re getting, the numbers are bogus,” Trump said, without providing evidence or further details.
“The reason why Donald Trump said this war will be over in 24 hours is because he believes he’s going to stop it. And we’re not like Americans,” Harris said.
The presidential candidates clashed over military funding for Ukraine, a high-profile issue between Democrats and Republicans that resulted in months of deadlock over a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine that was finally agreed upon in the spring.
The US State Department said in a statement last week that since Russia launched what Washington described as a “premeditated, unprovoked and brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” the US has provided more than $55.7 billion in military aid to Ukraine to date. ” in February 2022.
Harris said Tuesday that military funding from the U.S. and Ukraine’s international allies has made it possible to resist the Russian invasion, saying, “Because of our support, because of air defenses, ammunition, artillery, spearheads and Abrams tanks. Provided that Ukraine stands as an independent and free country.
People look at a US M12A1 Abrams tank captured by Russian forces in Ukraine on display at the World War II memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill west of Moscow on May 1, 2024.
Alexander Nemenov Afp | Getty Images
On Tuesday, Trump reiterated that the United States should not pay more than its European partners to support Ukraine, and it should not pay more to the NATO alliance, because Europe benefited more than us. .”
“They (Europe) have to be forced to equalize. However, I want to resolve the war. I know (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky and Putin very well. I have a good relationship with (them),” Trump said.
On Wednesday morning, the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, assessed the debate between Trump and Harris as a spectacle.
“Honestly, I don’t know why you think this is big news,” the official told Sputnik Radio when asked to comment on the debate, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
“Is this big news that we might see another show performed by people who take no responsibility for their words?” he asked rhetorically.
Ukraine has not publicly commented on the Harris-Trump debate or is reluctant to take sides ahead of the election, fearing to alienate the political camp as well as the future president.
