Harris: Putin will threaten entire Europe if US abandons Ukraine, allies
If the U.S. turns its back on Ukraine and its allies, the whole of Europe will be threatened by further Russian aggression, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Feb. 16, Axios reported.
Harris's statement comes amid growing worries that Washington's commitment to Ukraine and NATO may waver if Donald Trump wins the upcoming presidential election.
"Imagine if America turned our back on Ukraine and abandoned our NATO allies and abandoned our treaty commitments," Harris said during the Munich Security Conference.
"Imagine if we went easy on (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin, let alone encouraged him."
"History offers a clue. If we stand by while an aggressor invades its neighbor with impunity, they will keep going. And in the case of Putin, that means all of Europe would be threatened," Harris concluded.
While not naming anybody explicitly, Harris noted that some people in the U.S. have questioned the country's commitment to NATO.
Trump raised concerns among NATO allies recently when he said he would encourage Russia to do "whatever the hell it wants" to members who do not meet the 2% defense spending mark.
As the Republican Party's most likely nominee for this year's presidential run, Trump's influence has also helped to stall U.S. assistance for Ukraine.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose views largely align with those of Trump and his faction, has so far refused to put the Senate's foreign aid bill allocating $60 billion for Ukraine to a vote in the House, further delaying crucial assistance.
Nate Ostiller
