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If the Republicans win the US presidential election, Senator J.D. Vance, Trump’s choice for vice president, will likely have no influence in foreign policy, including in supporting Ukraine.
This opinion was expressed in a commentary to Ukrinform in Washington by John Herbst, US Ambassador to Ukraine (2003-2006), now Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Centre.
“I have no doubt that [if Trump is elected] foreign policy will be led by people who will hold key positions in the State Department, the Department of Defence and the National Security Council, and, of course, by President Trump himself,” the former ambassador said.
Asked how J.D. Vance’s current negative attitude towards supporting Ukraine might affect the development of events, Herbst said he saw no reason to believe that Vance would have an influential voice in Trump’s foreign policy.
“We don’t know yet what his role will be in the new administration. But I think it’s safe to say that he was elected [to the position of vice president] without regard to his foreign policy considerations,” the expert said.
Herbst also expressed the opinion that it is too early to say who will win the election – Republicans or Democrats: “The right answer is probably to wait a few months.”
At the same time, he commented on the potential contours of foreign policy in the event of a Democratic victory, if Joe Biden’s baton is picked up by another candidate.
“If it’s [current Vice President] Kamala Harris, I think there’s a pretty good chance that the foreign policy we’re seeing now will continue,” Herbst said.
He explained that if Kamala wins, Harris will most likely rely on a team of advisers, most of whom are currently working in the US administration.
If the Democrats nominate another candidate, there are different options. For example, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who are often mentioned in the media as likely contenders, do not have much experience in foreign policy. So, they could obviously also rely on the current team in charge of foreign policy and national security.
“However, if the Democrats choose someone like (Senators) Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, or especially Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire, I think it could lead to a policy that is stronger and better than what we see today,” the former US ambassador said.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, more and more influential representatives of the Democratic Party in the United States are calling on incumbent President Joe Biden to withdraw his candidacy for the election due to health reasons. Such calls are made by senators, influential congressmen, Democratic campaign sponsors, and film stars.
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