Janice R. Andrews
As Ukraine struggles to repel Russian advances and fears about the future of US help, US President Joe Biden’s decision to halt his candidacy for re-election adds another layer of uncertainty to the country. Kyiv has long been apprehensive about the possibility of Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump winning because of suspicions that he would cut off support and compel Ukraine to sue for peace on conditions that would benefit Russia.
It’s uncertain if Biden’s decision to withdraw and support Vice President Kamala Harris would energize the Democrats’ campaign or increase the likelihood that Trump will lose. Moscow officials, who are generally believed to support Trump, were ambiguous.
Yulia Loginova, a resident of Kiev, stated that she was unable to forecast the impact of Biden’s exit on Ukraine. “To be honest, I’m not sure,” she remarked. “A surprise a day. But he made the correct decision.”
Biden’s resignation “changes the narrative of the campaign,” according to Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. However, it is too soon to tell how much this will affect the dynamics of the presidential election. “If it makes the Democrats more likely to win, then Ukraine’s happy,” he stated. “I don’t think a Harris administration would be that different from a Biden administration.”
Either way, Ukraine might be in for a difficult time. Even though the US is Ukraine’s most important ally, under Biden, it has occasionally been viewed as an irritable ally. Victory “is impossible without the support of the USA, that is a fact,” a soldier declared as he stood on Kyiv’s Independence Square next to a sea of little Ukrainian flags flown in memory of those lost in the conflict. They are the most powerful, have the most weapons, and possess everything.”
Nevertheless, the soldier stated that “the war would have ended a long time ago” if the US had given more assistance. He only revealed his nick name, Sadik, in accordance with military regulations. However, he said, a Trump government would make matters far worse. “If Trump wins, there will be little to no weapons,” he declared, expressing concern that in order to terminate the conflict, in which the forces of the Kremlin are gradually gaining the upper hand, Ukraine will be pressured to make concessions.
Trump has bragged that he could put an end to the conflict in a day, and Ukrainians believe that Russia would demand conditions be met for any peace. More concern has been raised by Trump’s selection of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, a critic of US military assistance to Ukraine, as his running partner for vice president.
During a recent visit to Britain, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that working with Trump will be difficult, but he also stated that Ukrainians are not “afraid of hard work.” Trump and the head of Ukraine had a phone conversation on Friday, which both men praised on social media site X. Biden has received praise from Zelensky for his “bold steps” and “unwavering support” over the more than two years of fighting.
“The current situation in Ukraine and all of Europe is no less challenging, and we sincerely hope that America’s continued strong leadership will prevent Russian evil from succeeding or making its aggression pay off,” Zelensky stated on X. However, Ukraine is grateful for US assistance, but it is also frustrated by its restrictions.
Russia has intensified its attacks on the cities and infrastructure of Ukraine, and Zelensky’s administration is pressing the Biden administration to approve the deployment of US-supplied weaponry to launch an offensive deep within Russia. Ukraine wishes to target the locations—which are frequently distant from the border—that Moscow utilizes to strike the country from the air. Washington has refrained from granting authorization due of concerns that the confrontation may intensify.
Senior advisor Edward Lucas of the Center for European Policy Analysis stated, “The Ukrainians are pretty disappointed with Biden.” “The cost of Biden’s inaction is needless battlefield deaths, the devastation of Ukrainian infrastructure, and the murder of civilians in Ukraine. Therefore, even though Trump would be worse, it would already be quite bad if the Biden line continued.”
Leading US Democrats have promptly vowed to back Harris as the nominee. Her public remarks on foreign policy have, not surprise, been in perfect sync with Biden’s. During the February Munich Security Conference, she declared, “President Joe Biden and I stand with Ukraine” and the administration will “work to secure critical weapons and resources that Ukraine so badly needs.”
Meanwhile, authorities in Moscow stated that Biden’s exit would not stop them from achieving their war objectives and did not express a view on whether it would affect the tense US-Russian relations, despite the fact that President Vladimir Putin and President Trump have complimented each other on several occasions. “We don’t evaluate the decisions made by the US president,” Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated. “This is something the US voters should be concerned about.”
Russia’s deputy director of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, stated on the messaging app Telegram that Biden’s exit will not affect Russia’s approach to Ukraine. Using the name for the conflict that the Kremlin uses, “the goals of the special military operation will be achieved,” he declared.
Regardless of the outcome, Ukraine and America’s other allies are concerned that the US may become less trustworthy. The next president might quickly be overwhelmed by home issues before ever considering the numerous global flashpoints, given the split Congress and electorate. The insecurity of the situation was highlighted by the deadlock in Congress that delayed a US$61 billion military assistance package to Ukraine for months before it was eventually approved.
People in Kiev digested the most recent development in an election in the United States that might impact their nation’s destiny. “I think Biden is great because he helped Ukraine,” Mykyta Kolesnikov, a car wash manager, said. “He sent us important assistance for the war when we needed it.” However, 21-year-old Kolesnikov stated he was aware that Biden had to go and he was only hoping the Democrats would put forth a more capable candidate. “Zelensky says that he can work with Trump, but it will be very hard for Ukraine to work with Trump and his team,” said Kolesnikov.
