NATO Admiral Says US Unlikely to Stop Backing Ukraine After Vote

(Bloomberg) -- The US is unlikely to stop supporting Ukraine against Russia irrespective of the outcome of the presidential election, NATO’s senior military officer said, as former President Donald Trump told the first debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that he wants the war to be over.

Most Read from Bloomberg

• How Americans Voted Their Way Into a Housing Crisis

• After a Record Hot Summer, Pressure Grows for A/C Mandates

• Chicago Halts Hiring as Deficit Tops $1 Billion Through 2025

• For Tenants, AI-Powered Screening Can Be a New Barrier to Housing

• UC Berkeley Gives Transfer Students a Purpose-Built Home on Campus

Speaking at a conference in Seoul on Wednesday, Admiral Rob Bauer, who chairs NATO’s Military Committee, said there is a broad support for Ukraine among American people, as well as among both of the Democratic and Republican parties.

“I think it’s unlikely in that light that the US as a country will stop supporting Ukraine,” he said.

Bauer’s remarks came as Republican nominee Trump said during the debate hosted by ABC News that it is in America’s best interest for the war in Ukraine to end. The former president did not answer moderator’s question on whether he wants Ukraine to win the war.

“As we all know, politicians that are participating in an election say things that not necessarily end up becoming policy in their government if they win the election,” the NATO admiral said.

The race for the White House remains tight ahead of the Nov. 5 election and the two candidates differ significantly on a solution to the conflict in Ukraine, currently well into its third year.

While President Joe Biden and Harris have pledged to back Kyiv for as long as needed, Trump has repeatedly raised doubts over US commitments to NATO and said he’ll bring the war to an end before his inauguration. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has given little indication that he’s ready to negotiate, except on his own terms.

“If the Russians stop the war now and go home, the war is over. If Ukraine stops the war now, they have lost their country. That’s the difference,” Bauer said. “I would be extremely surprised if the US would have an interest in allowing Putin to win that war.”

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

• EV Leases Go as Low as $20 a Month to Help Dealers Clear Their Lots

• The Covid Pandemic Left an Extra 13 Million Americans Single

• Putting Olive Oil in a Squeeze Bottle Earned This Startup a Cult Following

• China Can Avoid Japan’s Lost Decades If It Follows Korea’s Path

• Learning to Manage People by Talking to a Bot

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.