Harris rules out bilateral talks with Putin on Ukraine without Ukraine in CBS interview

Vice President Kamala Harris, in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” on 7 October, outlined her stance on the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, emphasizing the importance of Ukrainian involvement in any peace negotiations and adhering to the UN Charter.

With the US presidential election just 29 days away at the time of the interview, one of two main candidates, Harris, faces ongoing attacks from her rival Donald Trump, with the race remaining extremely close.

When asked about the possibility of meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a solution to the war in Ukraine, Harris firmly stated,

“Not bilaterally without Ukraine, no. Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine.” She emphasized that there would be “no success in ending that war without Ukraine and the UN charter participating in what that success looks like.”

The UN Charter’s paragraph 4 of article 2 calls on all UN member states to “respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence” of other members.

The Vice President avoided directly answering a question about supporting Ukraine’s potential NATO membership. When asked if she would support the effort to expand NATO to include Ukraine as president, Harris responded,

“Those are all issues that we will deal with if and when it arrives at that point.” She instead focused on the current US position, stating, “Right now, we are supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked aggression.”

The Telegraph notes that Harris’s response on Ukraine’s NATO accession appears to contradict longstanding US policy and may cause concern among allies. The publication noted that her answer casts doubt over Ukraine’s potential membership in the alliance.

Harris took the opportunity to criticize her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, suggesting that his approach to the conflict would result in a surrender to Russia.

“Donald Trump, if he were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now,” she said. “He talks about, ‘Oh, he can end it on day one.’ You know what that is? It’s about surrender.”

Earlier, Harris said that ”we will continue to stand with Ukraine in its fight for freedom against Russia’s aggression.”

Meanwhile, Trump criticized the US aid for Ukraine on multiple occasions, and even claimed at one of his campaign rallies that Ukraine doesn’t exist anymore, mirroring Russia’s propaganda.

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