Trump or Harris? For Ukraine, Two Very Different Futures Loom.
The New York Times
The presidential candidates have expressed starkly contrasting visions for America’s role in the war, as well as the NATO alliance that serves as a shield against Russian aggression.
The Ukrainian military is losing ground in eastern Ukraine at the fastest pace in years. An influx of several thousand North Korean soldiers to Russia has added an unpredictable new dimension to the most savage war in Europe in generations.
And Russian bombardments — including 20 nights of drone assaults on the capital, Kyiv, in October alone — add to the civilian casualty count every day.
Against this difficult backdrop, Ukraine is bracing for the U.S. elections on Tuesday that will almost certainly shape the course of the country in profoundly different ways, depending on who wins the White House.
Former President Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee, and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, have expressed starkly contrasting visions for America’s role in the war as well as in the NATO military alliance that has long served as a shield against Russian aggression.
Ukrainian officials — desperate to steer clear of the toxic partisan battles that could jeopardize support from their chief military backer — are seeking to find ways to make different arguments that might appeal to both camps.
Mr. Trump’s claim that he will be able to broker a deal to end the war even before he takes office along with his often-expressed dim views of Ukraine — he has even blamed President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war — have stoked concerns that he would force the Ukrainians into a bad deal by cutting off military support.
