KAMALA Harris has claimed Vladimir Putin would “eat” Donald Trump for breakfast as the Republican vowed to end the Ukraine war in days.
The former president said at last night’s debate he could get peace even before he assumes office if he won the November election.
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In a high stakes tussle the pair fought over America’s place in the world and whether it should continue to back a Ukraine victory.
Trump vowed during the event: “I’ll get the war with Ukraine and Russia ended if I’m president-elect, I’ll get it done before even becoming president.”
ABC journalist David Muir asked Trump how he would get peace and if he wanted Ukraine to win the war.
But Trump said he only wanted to save lives and didn’t back the brave Ukrainians to victory or give details on his peace plan.
He went on to raise how much it was costing the US to back Ukraine and slammed Joe Biden for not solving it.
Trump said: “Biden had no idea how to talk to him [Putin], he had no idea how to stop it and now you have millions of people dead and it’s only getting worse and it could lead to World War III.”
In a brutal onslaught against her opponent, Harris lambasted him on betraying America’s allies and trying to befriend tyrants.
Harris told Trump that Putin “would eat you for lunch” and said he believed he had a “friendship” with the brutal dictator.
She went on to say if he had been president when Russia invaded Ukraine: “Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe.”
The vice president said: “Understand why the European allies and our NATO allies are so thankful that you are no longer president and that we understand the importance of the greatest military alliance the world has ever known, which is NATO.”
Harris told Trump to justify to the 800,000 Polish voters in the key swing state of Pennsylvania “how quickly you would give up” for favours from Putin.
She said dictators and autocrats were “rooting” for Trump to win as “they can manipulate you with flattery and favours.”
“It is well known he admires dictators, wants to be a ‘dictator on day one’, according to himself.”
Harris also said that Trump “exchanged love letters” with Kim Jong-un.
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Alan Mendoza, the Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society, pointed out that Trump did not say he wanted a Ukraine victory.
He said: “He [Trump] did say he wanted to end the war, which is, of course, what leaders in the West also want.
“There is a disconnect between the two positions, and I suppose the fear is that he is prepared to end the war on any terms.”
Mendoza said neither Ukraine or Russia wanted peace yet as they both believed they could get a better peace deal.
But the international relations expert said it was not yet clear what exactly Trump’s plan could be and he could have more orthodox people around him.
He said: “It is worth bearing in mind that lots of people around Trump have been trying to pour cold water on these sort of concerns.”
Trump had proved himself to have a transactional foreign policy views in his first term, which had seen him walk away from negotiations with North Korea.
Mendoza said Harris sounded like she would continue the Biden administration’s policy – “music to the ears of European nations”.
It comes as Foreign Secretary David Lammy and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ukraine today.
HARRY COLE: Both landed blows – but race is still too close to call
By HARRY COLE, Political Editor
AFTER a slow start from both candidates, it was only once Harris began prodding and poking at the size of Trump’s rallies, that he went on the attack. Jibes about issues that hit close to home, such as his wealth, his inheritance from his father, and his businesses that the old Don of 2016 came out of his shell.
Trumpy was clearly angry. He got more orange. He got more aggressive. He hit out over taxes, illegal migrants, and eating cats and dogs.
This debate was about two camps talking mainly to their bases. As elections are largely decided on who can get their supporters out to vote, this decision to address mostly those who have already made their minds up made sense.
Harris had some particularly strong moments on abortion and healthcare – issues she already has a lead on over Trump. But she was much weaker on the economy – an area her opponent will look to bash her on.
For someone who’s been in power for four years as Vice President to not be able to defend the record is a major weakness for Harris.
She dodged questions on inflation and cost of living before Trump really went on the attack.
He tried to link everything back to immigration and fracking – two of the biggest issues for the former President.
In key swing states that Trump needs to win, such as Pennsylvania, fracking is a big issue, and Kamala Harris’ record on that is dubious at best.
She’s saying the right things now but there wasn’t a real knockout blow on either side, the bar was lower for Harris.
Biden’s VP needed to prove that she could handle the debate with no notes, no scripts, and no soundbite moments – without a prompt or soft-soap interviewer to help her.
Throughout the campaign, Harris has been kept on a very tight leash, restricting her media appearances as much as possible.
Frankly, she cleared that low bar.
On the money markets, Trump started out ahead of Harris on the Betfair exchange, but by the end, his Democratic challenger had a slight edge.
November’s election is still on a knife edge but Harris is gaining on Trump in the betting markets.
Trump had a very strong closing statement, hitting all his key points on immigration, Biden, the economy, and national security. But this thrilling race is still too close to call.
Watch The Sun’s full debate coverage on Never Mind The Ballots.
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