Trump says U.S. must 'get out' of Ukraine and will remain 'stuck' unless he wins election
U.S. does not have military presence in Ukraine, but has provided military, humanitarian assistance
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States needs to get out of the war in Ukraine and that U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and U.S. President Joe Biden had no plan to do so.
"Biden and Kamala got us into this war in Ukraine, and now they can't get us out. They can't get us out," Trump said in a speech in Georgia.
The United States does not have troops in Ukraine but has given military and humanitarian assistance worth billions of dollars to Ukraine.
"I think that we're stuck in that war unless I'm president. I'll get it done. I'll get it negotiated, I'll get out. We gotta get out. Biden says 'we will not leave until we win.' What happens if they win," Trump said.
The U.S. election and Ukraine
Ukraine has faced 31 months of all-out war since Russia launched its wide-ranging invasion effort in February 2022.
The U.S. has been a key backer of Ukraine's fight, and the pending change of leadership in the White House could have an impact on the support it receives from Washington.
Trump is vying to return to the Oval Office, four years after he lost to Biden in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This time around, he's facing a new presidential rival: Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after Biden dropped his re-election bid in July.
Some analysts have predicted that a Harris administration would not substantially change the direction of U.S. support for Ukraine.
Trump's comments on Monday followed others he made a day earlier, in which he claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "wants [the Democrats] to win" the U.S. election.
Zelenskyy travelled to the United States in recent days, for business that included addressing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday — though he also plans to meet with Biden and with Harris in Washington.
A Trump campaign official told The Associated Press that the Republican candidate would not be meeting with Zelenskyy this week.
Russia must be forced into peace: Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian leader told the Security Council on Tuesday that the war between Russia and Ukraine cannot be calmed by talks alone, but that Russia must be forced into peace.
Zelenskyy has sought the support of Western leaders for what he calls a "victory plan" to end the war.
Zelenskyy said the war would end one day but not because "someone got tired of the war" or through a trade with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a reference to proposals that Ukraine cede some territory seized by Russia to settle the conflict.
"This war can't be calmed by talks. Action is needed," Zelenskyy said, thanking nations who have provided Ukraine support.
Russia in violation of UN charter: Guterres
"Putin has broken so many international norms and rules that he won't stop on his own, Russia can only be forced into peace, and that is exactly what's needed, forcing Russia into peace, as the sole aggressor in this war, the sole violator of the UN Charter," Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy has said that if his plan is backed by the West, it will have a broad impact on Moscow, including a psychological one that could help compel Putin to end the war diplomatically.
Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia spoke up at the meeting to reject the council hosting Zelenskyy.
"Western countries could not refrain from poisoning the atmosphere once again, trying to fill the air time with the hackneyed Ukrainian issue," Nebenzia said of the meeting.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the 15-member council that Russia's war in Ukraine was a clear violation of the founding UN Charter.
With files from The Associated Press and CBC News