Ukrainians, Watching America’s Election, Are Hedging Bets as America Teeters Between Trump and Harris

KYIV — Ukrainians, watching the warfront with one eye and the American election with the other, are hedging their bets as America hurtles toward election day on November 5, conversations here in the capital suggest.America is the biggest donor of aid to Ukraine. Yet the candidate who is currently leading in the polls — President Trump, a Republican, has been critical of sending assistance to Ukraine. Yet, lawmakers in Ukraine’s Parliament, known as the Verkhovna Rada, see the elections as an opportunity to renew the war’s course.American elections will bring clarity and refreshment to Ukraine, a member of the Parliament of Ukraine, Lisa Yasko, tells the Sun. She is part of President Zelensky’s party, Servant of the People. She clings to the hope that neither candidate — the Democrat is Vice President Harris — would create a catastrophic situation for Ukraine. “The U.S. is strong,” Ms. Lasko reasons, “and if you want to maintain your ranks, you need to take action on things happening worldwide.”Mr. Trump is sowing doubt on whether he would halt aid to Ukraine if elected in the November elections. Last month he called Mr. Zelensky the “greatest salesman of any politician that’s ever lived.” He also said he would tell Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO member countries that do not meet the alliance’s two percent spending guidelines on defense. Mr. Trump also says that if elected he would have the war settled before he takes office on January 20. He would bring both parties back to the negotiating table. Details, however, are scant.“I think President Trump is quite unpredictable,” a member of the European Solidarity Party, Oleksii Goncharenko, tells the Sun. “From a Ukrainian perspective, it can be very bad, but it can also be very good.” He recalls that Mr. Trump approved a sale of Javelin missiles to Ukraine in 2018, which President Obama had refused to do.Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky held last week what the former president described as a “very good phone call.” The officials discussed support for Ukraine and agreed to meet to discuss peace plans with Russia.America has given over $53 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. That makes America Kyiv’s biggest donor up to date. Yet, Mr. Zelensky has been calling on his allies to speed up the delivery of ammunition and to lift restrictions on the use of American weapons to attack military targets inside Russia.“We are very thankful for all the support we are receiving,” Mr. Goncharenko says. “Yet, there are always limits. Ukraine is receiving enough not to lose, but not enough to win.”Concerns over Mr. Trump’s return to office grew after he named his running mate for the election, James David Vance, a fierce opponent of sending what he calls “blank checks” to Ukraine. “Together, we will make sure our allies share in the burden of securing world peace. No more free rides for nations that betray the generosity of the American taxpayer,” Mr. Vance told the Republican National Convention last week. Western allies have been weighing the possible return of Mr. Trump to the White House. President Biden extended a security deal with Ukraine for the next 10 years, which intensifies Washington’s long-term support for Kyiv.The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has urged member countries to increase their commitment to Ukraine amid fears of Mr. Trump cutting aid. Yet Ukraine’s parliament has yet to devise a strategy to prepare for the outcome of the November elections, former speaker of the Parliament, who is now in the opposition, Dmytro Razumkov, tells the Sun. “It is beyond reasonable doubt that such plans should exist,” Mr. Razumkov says. “Today we don’t have such a plan. And, I am not sure that we will in some time.”Ukraine’s Parliament is in shambles as the executive power gained more power amid the war and sidelined the legislative branch. Under Ukraine’s constitution, the Parliament appoints most ministers and approves the president’s close circle of officials.The lack of power in today’s parliament is a problem for America as it doesn’t have an equal partner in Ukraine, Mr. Razumkov says, adding, “if we have normal relations with all branches of power, we will have more opportunities to receive more support.”

Ukrainians, Watching America’s Election, Are Hedging Bets as America Teeters Between Trump and Harris

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