What Would President Kamala Harris Do for Ukraine?

Probably what Biden has Done--but she might be Better

Hi All,

It is looking almost certain that Kamala Harris will be the Democrat Party’s nominee for president. No significant competitor has emerged during the course of the day. and almost every person or institution in the party that matters has endorsed her. With the likelihood of her becoming one of the two most likely people to become president in January 2025, I thought I would combine two of my regular topics (Ukraine and US policy-making) in one piece to talk about how, if at all, a Harris Administration might change US policy towards Ukraine.

First of all, I’m amused at the people saying that Harris doesn’t have foreign policy experience. Actually, she would be one of the most experienced foreign policy presidents in recent memory. Arguably only George Bush Sr had more experience in foreign policy of recent Presidents.

Harris has been a US Senator (where she served on the Intelligence Committee—which matter) and then she has been Vice-President for the last three and a half years. As VP, much of her time has been spent travelling and representing the president. Indeed she has met with Zelensky a few times.

Harris and Zelensky meeting in February 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/vp-harris-address-ukraine-summit-switzerland-meet-zelenskiy-2024-06-14/

If you compare that to Trump, Obama, Bush Jr, Clinton, Reagan and Carter—she has far more foreign policy experience to this point in her career.

That being said, when it comes to Ukraine, I wont put much stock in what she has said publicly since being VP. She has been following administration policy during that time and saying words that have administration backing. And, to be fair, she might actually very much approve of Biden administration policy towards Ukraine and be determined to follow the same policy contours if she becomes president.

On the other hand, if you look at who has been advising her, particularly her National Security Adviser while VP, Philip Gordon, you can see how she might be interested in following a more assertive pro-Ukraine, anti-Putin line than Biden and his equivalent Jake Sullivan. Even looking at her Deputy National Security Adviser, Rebecca Friedman Lissner, you can see glimpses of a harder line policy on Russia possibly emerging.