As the world continues to rage under the ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, the two presidential candidates in the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate hosted by ABC News on Tuesday (local time), presented their views on ending the conflict and Washington’s role in it.
Trump vowed that it is in the US’ “best interest” to end the conflict and vowed he would bring both wars to an end while being the President-elect. Harris, on the other hand, accused Trump of wanting to “give up” and backed the Biden-Harris administration’s stance on the two issues.
Taking a jibe at Trump, Harris said Russian President Vladimir Putin would have been sitting in Kyiv right now if he had been the President.
“The reason Trump says the war would be over in 24 hours, because he would just give it up. And that’s not who we are as Americans…we brought 50 countries together to support Ukraine in its right to defence,” Harris said, adding that because of all this support, Ukraine has been able still stand as a free country.
“If Donald Trump were president right not, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now,” she said.
In response, Trump claimed that millions of people have been killed and the situation is heading toward a third World War.
“I want the war to stop. There are uselessly, people being killed, millions…We are in for USD 250 billion or more. Because, they don’t ask Europe, which is a much bigger beneficiary…Biden and you (Harris) don’t have the courage to ask Europe like I asked NATO,” Trump said.
“I will get the war settled. I know Putin very well, I know Zelenskyy very well. I have a good relationship. They respect me, they don’t respect Biden. Why will you respect him? He hasn’t even made a phone call to Putin in two years…I will get it settled even before I become the President,” he added.
The former President also took a dig at President Biden and said the Democratic Party threw him out of the campaign “like a dog.”
“Now we have millions of people dead, and it’s only getting worse and it could lead to World War III…and we have a president, we don’t even know if he is a President…they threw him out of the campaign like a dog,” he said.
Being asked if it’s in the best interests of the US for Ukraine to win the war, Trump said, “It’s in US’ best interest to get the war finished and just get it done, negotiate a deal
The former President also accused Kamala Harris of “hating” Israel and criticised her not attending the address of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the US Congress.
He went on to claim that if Harris becomes President of the US, Israel won’t exist in two years.
“She hates Israel. She didn’t even meet Netanyahu when he gave an important speech in the Congress…If she’s president I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now. I am pretty good with predictions, but I hope I’m wrong with that one,” Trump said.
“It would have never happened, Iran was broke under Donald Trump, they had no money…now they are rich nation and spreading that money to spread terror. I will get that settled and fast. I will get the war with Ukraine and Russia ended, if I’m President-elect, I will get it done even before becoming the President,” he further reiterated.
Vice President Harris junked Trump’s allegations and accused him of dividing and distracting people from reality.
“He’s trying to again divide and distract from the reality. Donald Trump is weak on national security and foreign policy. He admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one according to himself,” Harris said. “He said of Putin, he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine, he exchanged love letters with Kim Jong Un.”
Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are the official presidential candidates of their respective parties, after they accepted the nomination at the conventions earlier this year.
Notably, the first presidential debate was held in June between President Biden and Trump, where the former’s performance expressed concerns over his age. Following this, Biden bowed out of the race and endorsed Harris.
The US presidential elections are scheduled to be held on November 5 this year.
