Vice President Kamala Harris has conceded defeat in the 2024 presidential election, while the world is frozen in anticipation of Donald Trump’s statements on the military conflict in Ukraine.
Harris is urging supporters to accept the results after Trump’s election victory
Harris said, speaking at Howard University, her alma mater, in Washington, DC:
Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect (Donald) Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.
One hundred and eight days into her campaign, the “joyful warrior,” as she called herself, spoke of her defeat in strong terms in an attempt to reassure the American people. She also added:
I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we must accept the results of this election.
Closing a chapter in the history books after a tense campaign, the Vice President urged supporters to “roll up their sleeves” in response to the election results.
Trump discusses plan to end Ukraine conflict
US President-elect Donald Trump promised during his campaign to end the Ukraine conflict in 24 hours. Now he is forced to choose a strategy to stop the fighting by his inauguration on January 20, 2025, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump has already received several proposals to resolve the conflict from his advisers. Despite the different approaches to solving the problem, each option has a common idea: a sharp retreat from current US President Joe Biden’s stance on military aid to Kyiv – “as much as it takes.”
During his election campaign, Trump criticised Biden’s actions as he believes they could lead to World War III. Moreover, the president-elect believes that Kyiv cheated the US by getting expensive weapons for free. Despite his assurances about the possibility of a quick resolution to the conflict, Trump has not revealed exactly how he can bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, as he allegedly will not be able to use the plans once they are disclosed.
WSJ, citing Trump’s allies, writes that the politician has not approved specific proposals, although he has a choice. Only Trump will decide which strategy to pursue.
The publication’s journalists suggested that former US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, who may become defence secretary, will insist on resolving the conflict without serious benefit to Russia. Other associates, including Richard Grenell, who could become national security adviser, prioritise ending the conflict in the short term, which would likely force Ukraine to make significant concessions. However, they all agree on one thing: what is needed now is a suspension of hostilities, a consolidation of territory already taken under Russian control, and a suspension of Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO.
The WSJ says one proposal is as follows: Kyiv has not joined NATO for at least 20 years, the US continues to supply Ukraine with weapons to prevent any future attack. The front line remains where it is at this point, a demilitarised zone would be created around it.
That said, who will monitor this zone is unknown, but the US will definitely not be sending troops. One adviser told the publication:
We are not sending American men and women to keep the peace in Ukraine. And we’re not paying for it. Ask the Poles, the Germans, the British and the French to do it.
Earlier, Senator J.D. Vance spoke about a similar plan. He suggested that Russia should retain the territories it took control of and create a “heavily fortified” demilitarised zone to prevent future attacks, while Ukraine should remain neutral, not join NATO or similar alliances.
Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, who served in the Trump administration during his last term, have suggested halting military support for Kyiv until they agree to come to the negotiating table. That said, Ukraine can still regain lost territory, but only peacefully.
Not everything is so smooth
At the moment, it is not known exactly what strategy Trump will follow. However, there are pitfalls in all options for the development of events.
WSJ reports that neither Russia nor Ukraine wants to change their military goals. Russian troops are advancing, which does not motivate Moscow to negotiate. Some NATO members believe Ukraine should agree to negotiate on its own terms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would in theory be easier to force negotiations than Russian leader Vladimir Putin, but Ukraine’s population would view the loss of territory as a surrender, which would get Zelensky in trouble. Kyiv is concerned that Trump’s stance will end up settling the conflict in Russia’s favour.
Despite the fact that Trump has repeatedly criticised Zelensky and called him “the greatest salesman,” the Ukrainian leader has already congratulated the politician on his victory. Moreover, he even called him personally. Zelensky wrote on X:
We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our co-operation. Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.
Ukraine’s wishes
On October 16, Zelensky partially declassified his “victory plan,” which he provided to US and EU partners. It contains five open items and three secret ones.
According to the plan, Ukraine should be admitted to NATO, the West should help strengthen Ukrainian defence (provide air defence systems, jointly shoot down missiles and drones, invest in weapons production in Ukraine, allow long-range missiles to hit Russian territory), deploy a “comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrent package” in Ukraine, conclude an agreement with Ukraine on joint protection of the country’s critical resources, and replace certain contingents of the US Armed Forces with Ukrainian units.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is cautiously optimistic about continued US support under President-elect Donald Trump and expects “clear and quick steps” from the new leadership, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the Kyiv Independent on Thursday.
Shmyhal said at the Kyiv International Economic Forum:
Donald Trump is a strong leader, there is no doubt about that.
Shmyhal believed that bipartisan support for Ukraine in both the US Congress and American society remains, giving grounds for “cautious optimism.” The Republican Party has won not only the White House but also the Senate, while the elections for the House of Representatives are still in limbo.
The Prime Minister highlighted President Volodymyr Zelensky’s phone conversation with Trump after the election, which the Ukrainian head of state called “a great phone call.”
Ukrainian officials tried to put a positive spin on Trump’s victory, expecting him to take a “peace through strength” approach and invoking the memories of Ronald Reagan, a former US Republican president known for his hawkish stance on Moscow. Shmyhal commented:
We understand that the US’s core value is the protection of democracy, the protection of democratic values. This remains unchanged, regardless of the elections. I am sure that we can continue our co-operation with the United States.
Russia’s reaction
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov believes that Trump’s plans for peaceful aspirations on the international stage, his desire to end old wars and prevent the emergence of new ones, may change after the inauguration. He said:
Yes, this statement is quite important, but now after the victory, actually preparing to enter the Oval Office or entering the Oval Office – here sometimes statements after that take on a different tone, and that’s why we say that we are carefully analysing everything, observing everything and we will draw conclusions on specific words and specific steps.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also said it had “no illusions” about Trump. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website.
The ruling political elite in the US, regardless of party affiliation, adheres to anti-Russian attitudes and the line on “containing Moscow.” This line is not subject to the fluctuations of the domestic political barometer in the United States, whether it is “America First” as interpreted by D. Trump and his supporters or the “rules-based world order” on which the Democrats are “fixated.” Russia will work with the new Administration when it “takes up residence” in the White House, rigidly defending Russian national interests and focusing on achieving all the set goals of the special military operation. Our conditions are unchanged and are well known in Washington.
