Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump: Where do US presidential candidates stand on Ukraine?

People in the United States, as well as around the world—including in Ukraine—were taken aback by Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the 2024 US presidential race as the Democratic candidate, following months of intense scrutiny regarding his eligibility for a new term. Now, all eyes are on US Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden endorsed to enter the race against Republican candidate Donald Trump as he tries to get his hands on his second presidency.

On August 6, after five days of voting, Kamala Harris secured the Democratic Party's nomination for president, making her an official opponent of Donald Trump. If Harris does get elected as an American leader, how will she handle the issue of Ukraine in contrast to Trump? 

Rubryka delves into the key questions for Ukrainians who have followed the events in the US: where Harris and Trump stand regarding the Russian invasion and how their policy on Ukraine will shape the course of the war.

As part of the Biden administration, Vice President Kamala Harris publicly and consistently supported Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. In her public statements, Harris condemned Russia for its war against Ukraine and stressed the importance of backing Ukraine to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

At the latest security conference in Munich, where she again met with Ukrainian President Zekensky and his delegation, Kamala Harris said that the US was committed to «stop an imperialist authoritarian from subjugating a free and democratic people.»

«You have made clear that Europe will stand with Ukraine, and I will make clear: President Joe Biden and I stand with Ukraine,» Harris told the conference audience, reiterating America's and her support for Ukraine.

The US vice president has also strongly advocated for bringing Russia to justice for its war crimes against Ukrainians. At the Munich Security Conference last year, Kamala Harris, a former attorney general and prosecutor, said America examined the evidence of the Russian atrocities in Ukraine and formally determined that «Russia has committed crimes against humanity.»

She continued, «I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes and to their superiors, who are complicit in these crimes, you will be held to account.» 

If Kamala Harris does become an official Democratic candidate and win the US presidential elections, she is expected to follow the same policy as her current administration in her campaign, and Ukraine will likely continue to receive the support it needs to push the enemy out of its territories.

«President Biden and I will continue to work to secure the resources and weapons that you need to succeed,» Harris said in her speech at the 2024 Munich Security Conference, addressing President Zelensky. «We also will continue to support your efforts to secure a just and lasting peace. We will work to make sure Russia pays damages to Ukraine. And ultimately, we want to see Ukraine emerge from this war as a nation that is free, democratic, and independent.»

Former US President Donald Trump's position on Ukraine has been no less than controversial. Before and after his term in office, he repeatedly praised Putin and the Russians even after they unleashed war in Ukraine's east and occupied Crimea in 2014. 2019 was marked by the Trump-Ukraine scandal, when Donald Trump blocked $400 million in military aid for Ukraine in an attempt to push Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky into starting corruption investigations into Biden and his family as part of a conspiracy theory. This controversy dealt a blow to his relationship with Ukraine.

Throughout his presidency, Trump often questioned the US support for Ukraine, suggesting that European allies should take on a greater share of the burden. This «America First» approach persisted in his campaign for the 2024 presidential election. «If Europe is not going to pay, why should we pay? They're much more greatly affected. We have an ocean in between us. They don't,» the former American president said.

Authorities in Ukraine and other European countries have concerns that US military aid may be halted if Trump becomes president. The Atlantic reported that Donald Trump «helped engineer what turned out to be an approximately four-month interruption in US assistance to Ukraine,» referring to the Republican Party blocking the package in Congress. The former president also stated that the US gave away too many weapons, refused to call Putin a war criminal, and didn't pledge more aid for Ukraine.

In another statement, Trump also said that if he entered into power, he would end the war in one day without explaining how. It raised worries that the Republican candidate might allow Russia to keep the Ukrainian territories it had occupied since 2022. When Trump accepted his nomination for the presidential race, he again promised to end the war in Ukraine. «Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity,» he said.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump express opposite views on US policy toward Ukraine. While Harris's stance aligns with international solidarity with Ukraine against Russian aggression, Trump's position on Ukraine is ambiguous and controversial and, considering the historical context, serves Russia more than Ukraine. Despite the unclear future, Ukrainian President Zelensky remains hopeful that America will continue to support Ukraine and discuss its future in NATO, regardless of the results of the US presidential elections. We'll find out if this optimism will be warranted in November.