Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris stated in an interview broadcast on Monday that if elected president, she would not engage in peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin unless Ukraine was included.
Speaking on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Harris made it clear that Ukraine must be represented in any discussions about its future. “Not bilaterally without Ukraine, no. Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine,” the U.S. vice president said when asked if she would meet one-on-one with Putin to negotiate an end to the war.
The Biden administration has consistently rejected any direct talks with Putin regarding the conflict. Harris also criticized the approach of her Republican rival, Donald Trump, to Ukraine, characterizing his policies as a “surrender” to Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Trump has previously expressed skepticism about Washington’s military and financial aid to Ukraine and has claimed that he could broker a peace deal with Putin swiftly. Harris rebuffed these claims, stating, “Donald Trump, if he were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now. He talks about, ‘Oh, he can end it on day one.’ You know what that is? It’s about surrender.”
Kyiv has expressed concerns that any peace deal under Trump would likely involve ceding significant territory to Russia, particularly in the eastern parts of the country, captured since the invasion began.
Harris also touched on Ukraine’s bid to join the NATO military alliance, saying she would address the matter “if and when it arrives at that point.”
