Blinken addresses possibility of U.S. ending Ukraine aid under Trump
ASPEN, Colo. — Ukraine is on its way to being able to “stand on its own feet” militarily, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Friday, noting that more than 20 other countries have pledged to maintain their own military and financial aid to the country even if the U.S. withdraws its support under a different president.
The comments marked the first time Blinken has directly addressed in public the possibility that former President Trump could win the November election and back away from current commitments to Ukraine. The U.S., under President Biden, has been the most important supporter of Ukraine in its more than two-year battle against invading Russian forces.
Trump’s public comments have sometimes criticized and at other times backed U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense.
His running mate, Ohio’s Sen. J.D. Vance, has been a leader of Republican efforts to block billions in U.S. military and financial assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022.
Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, once said: ‘I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.’
Concerns among Ukraine and its supporters that the country could lose vital U.S. support have increased as Trump’s campaign surges and Biden’s falters.
As polls have tilted in Trump’s favor, Ukraine and its supporters have grown increasingly concerned that the country could lose vital U.S. support.
Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the phone Friday.
“I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation’s freedom and independence,” Zelensky wrote on X, saying he and Trump had agreed “to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.”
Trump said on his social media platform that it was “a very good phone call” and that he appreciated Zelensky’s outreach.
The former president promised to “bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families,” and said “both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.”
Blinken said Friday that any new U.S. administration would have to take into account Congress’ strong bipartisan backing for Ukraine to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempts to expand Moscow’s territory and influence.
The annual NATO summit could get testy over admitting Sweden to the alliance amid Turkey’s objections.
“Every administration has an opportunity, of course, to set its own policy. We can’t lock in the future,” Blinken said to an audience of U.S. policymakers and others at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.
But he pointed to the security agreements that the U.S. and more than 20 other allies — including Japan and the European Union — had signed at a NATO summit in Washington this month.
“Were we to renege on that ... I suppose that’s possible, but happily we’ve got another 20 some-odd countries that are doing the same thing,” Blinken said.
Ukraine itself was on a trajectory to ensure it “stands on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically,” he said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made similar appeals to the international community Friday during an online question-and-answer session on social media site Reddit. He emphasized Kyiv’s willingness to work with whichever party wins the U.S. presidential election.
“I believe any U.S. administration should respect three features that make Ukraine different from other partners of America who had sought its support,” he said, listing them:
“We never asked U.S. troops to fight and die for Ukraine, we only requested weapons and support to our economy,” he said. “We never intended to rely on foreign aid indefinitely, and this is why we are reforming our economy and tripled domestic weapon production last year and plan to increase it sixfold this year. And we are fully transparent in using the U.S. assistance.”
Knickmeyer writes for the Associated Press. Times staff contributed to this report.
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