Harris rules out meeting with Putin, stresses Ukraine's voice
"There will be no success in ending that war without Ukraine and the UN charter participating in what that success looks like," stated U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview with CBS. Asked whether she would meet with Vladimir Putin to negotiate a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, she answered negatively.
During a pre-election interview featured in a special edition of CBS's programme, Harris—the Democrats’ candidate for the upcoming presidential election—was questioned about the potential resolution of the war with Russia to Ukraine’s advantage. She responded, "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 replied negatively, emphasising that she would not meet "bilaterally without Ukraine."
"Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine," she added. She also criticised 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. Responding to accusations of inattention from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite U.S. support, the Vice President stated 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 there is a better question: "Do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people? And the answer to that question is yes," she emphasised.
A busy week for Harris
The tradition of pre-election interviews with candidates from both parties in 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 initiated a series of intense TV appearances by Harris, who has previously given interviews infrequently. The Vice President will appear on ABC’s talk show "The View" and Stephen Colbert's evening programme on Tuesday. Howard Stern will also interview her, and on Thursday, she will participate in a town hall organised by Univision. On Sunday, Harris also appeared on the podcast "Call Her Daddy," which is popular among women.
