Kamala Harris insists on Ukraine's voice in peace talks
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris stated in an interview with CBS that "There will be no success in ending that war without Ukraine and the UN charter participating in what that success looks like." When asked whether she would meet with Vladimir Putin to negotiate a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, she responded negatively.
During a pre-election interview on a special edition of CBS's program, Harris—the Democratic candidate for the upcoming presidential election—was asked about the potential end of the war with Russia to Ukraine’s benefit. In response, she emphasized: "There will be no success in ending that war without Ukraine and the UN charter participating in what that success looks like."
When asked if she would meet with Putin to negotiate a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, she firmly that she would not meet "bilaterally without Ukraine."
"Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine," she added. She also criticized the plan proposed by Donald Trump to end the war, claiming it would mean Ukraine's capitulation.
Controversies surrounding NATO expansion
Harris did not clearly state whether she supports NATO expansion to include Ukraine. "Right now, we are supporting Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia's unprovoked aggression," she explained.
Harris also touched on the Middle East conflict and the current administration's approach to Israel. In response to the accusation of being inattentive from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite U.S. support, the Vice President said that Washington will continue to "do whatever is necessary to (...) end this war." When asked if Netanyahu is a close ally of America, she noted that the better question is: "Do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people? And the answer to that question is yes," she emphasized.
A busy week for Harris
The tradition of pre-election interviews with candidates from both parties on CBS's "60 Minutes" dates back to 1968. This year, however, Donald Trump declined participation, citing the network’s plans to fact-check his statements. Instead, CBS aired a segment on Republican officials in Arizona who are being intimidated by former president supporters for refusing to confirm Trump’s unfounded theories about stolen elections.
The CBS interview kicked off a series of intense TV appearances for Harris, who has rarely given interviews before. On Tuesday, the Vice President will appear on ABC’s talk show "The View" and on Stephen Colbert's evening program. She will also be interviewed by Howard Stern, and on Thursday, she will participate in a town hall organized by Univision. On Sunday, Harris also appeared on the podcast "Call Her Daddy," popular among women.
