Trump and Harris offer different futures for Ukraine

As the presidential election campaign nears its end, none of the candidates have determined exactly how they plan to handle Russia's fight against Ukraine.

As correspondent of Voice of AmericaIn the same period, experts say, the battle in Ukraine itself has changed dramatically, giving Ukraine more power in determining its destiny.

Analysts have different positions for Ukraine's future if Republican candidate for president Donald Trump wins a second mandate.

“It is widely thought that bringing Trump to the White House is not the best scenario for Ukraine, although there are other opinions that the situation may not be that bad”, Says Olexey Melnyk from the Ukrainian organisation Razumkov.

Former President Trump has said he will end the war quickly, even though his candidate for vice president, JD Vance, has previously said that Ukraine does not care what to think about.

A possible presidency of Democrat candidate Kamala Harris also remains unclear for Ukrainians.

Harris met with Ukrainian President Wolfymyr Zelensky and represented President Beden at the summit for transatlantic security.

Through the election campaign, however, Harris spoke briefly about Ukraine and how it differs from its rival Trump.

“Trumpi encouraged Putin to attack our allies. He said Russia can do whatever it wants. Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelensky to warn him of Russia's plan. I helped mobilise a global response of over 50 countries against Putin's aggression. As president, I will take a firm stand for Ukraine and our NATO allies” Harris said.

Analysts say Harris will likely continue Biden's policies in support of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, statements of former President Trump's foreign policy remain as unclear as before. This included the vow that he will end the war in one day:

The “is not fully clear how he will do it. The fear is that he would do so simply by abandoning Ukraine, cutting off funds and putting pressure on President Zelensky for negotiations at a time when Putin would have been able to strengthen his position in negotiations”, Says Andrew. Payne from University of London.

However, Payne says that the battlefield has now shifted with Ukrainian forces' decision to strike across the border and take control of Russian territory.

While analysts predict Ukraine will neither seek nor succeed in maintaining this territory, the new reality will help Kiev, regardless of who wins the elections in the United States.

Analyst Andrew Payne also says President Biden can intervene in a key phase.

I would not expect any change in Washington's position on Ukraine's military operations before November, but it must be expected what will happen in the mid-November and January period, no matter who wins the elections, to see if Ukraine is offered a little more space of action”, Says analyst Payne.

As both candidates continue the race, what may happen in Ukraine may not depend on the American president, whether he or she.