How Ukraine walks thin line as US picks next president
Ukrainian officials try to stay neutral before US election while dealing with Russian advances in Donbas. Current military situation and uncertain future support make Kyivʼs position extra-difficult
With US election just around corner Ukrainian leaders work hard to keep their distance from the political race. Mykhailo Podolyak from Presidents office explains their careful approach:
Any election in a country that supports Ukraine is important to us because this can impact the level of support; of course we do not interfere in the domestic political process
The situation got more complex after Volodymyr Zelenskys Sep-2024 US visit where he met both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris - his trip to ammo factory in Scranton PA (with three democrats but no republicans present) caused quite a stir
Russian forces keep pushing forward in east Ukraine using North-Korean soldiers near Kursk while Kyiv tries to figure out what comes next. Solomiia Bobrovska from parliament opposition thinks its not gonna be easy:
- With Trump Europe would need to step-up
- With Harris slow decision-making might continue
- Neither option looks perfect for Ukraine
Since feb-2022 invasion US gave Ukraine more than $100-bil in aid but weapons delivery got delayed due to domestic arguments and fear of making things worse. Kyivs five-point plan asks for long-range strikes permission and NATO membership invite - Washington still hasnt replied
Ukrainian experts see how election affects current support: Biden team doesnt want to upset republicans before voting day. Alyona Getmanchuk from New Europe Center thinks Trumps unpredictable nature could help Ukraine even though heʼd push for quick peace talks
After taking Vuhledar in early oct-2024 Russian army moved 9km north - its their fastest advance since loosing Kyiv region back then. Now Ukraine worries about winter attacks on power stations that might leave cities without electricity
