'Putin Would Eat You For Lunch': On Ukraine War, Kamala Harris's Riposte To Trump's 'Bad Negotiator' Charge

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday (US local time) fought to sway the 2024 presidential election on the biggest stage in US politics. The event was hosted in Philadelphia.

As Trump claimed he could broker a peace deal on behalf of the United States between Russia and Ukraine, Harris, drawing a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused the former of admiring “dictators”.

She also said Putin would eat up Trump for lunch, and that the former US President was trying to divide and distract from reality.

“He is trying to divide and distract from reality. It is well known he admires dictators. He exchanged love letters with (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un. These dictators and autocrats want you to be the President again because they are so clear that they can manipulate you with flattery and favours. That is why so many military leaders told me that you’re a disgrace,” Kamala Harris told Trump on the stage.

“If Trump were Putin, he would be sitting inside Ukraine,” Harris said, adding, “Understand why the European allies and our native 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, and what we have done to preserve the ability of (Ukrainian President) Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to fight for their independence,” Harris said.

“Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv, with his eyes on the rest of Europe. You would quickly give up, for the sake of favour, and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator, who would eat you for lunch,” she added.

On Harris’ claims, Trump said, “Putin endorsed Kamala Harris because if I were there, it would have never happened.”

“I want this war to stop. (US President) Joe Biden and you don’t have the courage to ask NATO (a Western military alliance of largely European countries and the US and Canada that is committed to one another’s defence or Europe), as I did. We are in for 250-275 billion dollars. They should be forced to equalise,” Trump told Harris at the debate.

“Biden hasn’t even made a phone call to Putin. If I win, I will speak to one and then the other. That’s a war that’s dying to be stopped. Biden had no idea how to talk to Putin or stop the war. We are playing with World War 3. We have a President who doesn’t even know he is alive,” Trump said.

Responding to Trump, Kamala said, “You’re not running against Biden, you’re running against me.”

“Let’s understand what happened here. I met President Zelenskyy before the war began. Days later, I went to NATO’s eastern flank and because of our support, Ukraine stands as an independent sovereign country,” she added.

Attacking Harris, the former President said, “Just as I understand, they sent her to negotiate peace before this war started. Three days later, he went in and he started the war because everything they said was weak and stupid. They said the wrong things, that war should have never started. She was the emissary, they sent her in to negotiate with Zelenskyy and Putin. And she did, and the war started three days later. And that’s the kind of talent we have with her, she’s worse than Biden in my opinion,” Trump responded.

To the unversed, Trump has repeatedly questioned the value of NATO and complains that many of its 32 members are not meeting their financial commitments to the alliance, claiming that they owe dues to the bloc.

NATO members do not pay dues to the alliance. They are committed to spending at least 2 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on their defence budgets. A record 23 NATO member nations will hit that target this year, according to estimated figures the alliance released this month.

TRUMP ON ‘WHO SHOULD WIN THE UKRAINE WAR’

During the debate, Trump was asked whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war against Russia.

Trump responded by saying, “I want the war to stop,” declining to take sides between Russia and Ukraine.

Asked again, Trump said there needs to be a deal to end the war.

THE DEBATE ON THE ISRAEL-GAZA WAR

Shifting the focus to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Kamala Harris insisted on the need to have a ceasefire deal and the hostages be saved.

She also said the United States must have a two-state solution, for Israel and the Palestinians.

“On October 7, Hamas, a terrorist organised, slaughtered 1,200 Israelis, many of them young people who were simply attending a concert, women were horribly raped. So absolutely, I said then and I say now, Israel has the right to defend itself, we would, and how it does so, matters. Because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed – children, mothers. What we know is that this war must end, it must end immediately, and the way it will end is we need a ceasefire deal and we need the hostages out,” Harris said.

“We will continue to work around the clock for that, also understanding that we must have a two-state solution, and in that solution, there must be security for the Israeli people and in equal measure the Palestinians. I would also give Israel the ability to defend itself in particular as it relates to Iran, and any threats that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel,” she added.

“…But we must have a two-state solution where we can re-build Gaza where the Palestinians have security and self-determination,” Harris said.

In a sharp response, Trump, at the debate, said, “If I were President, it would have never started. If I were President, Russia would have never, ever… I know Putin very well, he would have never, and there was no threat of it either for four years, have gone into Ukraine and killed millions of people. When you head up there, it’s far worse than what people understand what’s going over there.”

“But when she mentions about Israel, all of a sudden, she hates Israel, she wouldn’t even meet with (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu when he went to Congress to make a very important speech. She refused to be there, she hates Israel,” Trump said, adding, “If she is President, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now, and I’ve been pretty good predictions, and I hope that I’m wrong about that one.”

THE US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

The event began at 9 pm (US local time) and offered Americans their most detailed look at a campaign that’s dramatically changed since the last debate in June.

In rapid fashion, President Joe Biden bowed out of the race after his disastrous performance, Trump survived an assassination attempt and both sides chose their running mates.