US Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris criticized her rival Donald Trump regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, stating that if Trump were president, Russian leader Vladimir Putin would be in Kyiv and the “dictator” would “eat him up for lunch.”
During Tuesday’s presidential debate, Trump was asked whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war against Russia. He responded that he wanted to end the war at any cost and save lives.
“I want the war to stop and want to save lives,” Trump said, declining to take sides between Russia and Ukraine, and claiming that Europe was paying “much less” compared to the US.

In response to Trump’s allegations, Harris stated that she has a “strong relationship” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Our NATO allies are so thankful that you are no longer president,” Harris told Trump.
“I think Donald Trump says this war would be over in 24 hours because he would give it up. If Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now,” Harris said.
“Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe, starting with Poland,” Harris continued, noting “how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with a dictator who would eat you for lunch.”
During the debate, Trump claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in discussions with Putin prior to Russia’s military action in Ukraine. According to Trump, Harris was sent to negotiate peace just days before the conflict began.
“They sent her to negotiate peace before this war started,” Trump said, referring to Harris. “Three days later, he went in, and he started the war because everything they said was weak and stupid.”
Trump suggested that Harris’s diplomatic efforts were unsuccessful in preventing Putin from launching the invasion. He implied that the perceived weakness and lack of strategic acumen displayed by Harris and the administration during these negotiations emboldened Putin to proceed with his military plans.
When moderator David Muir asked Harris directly whether she had met Russian President Vladimir Putin, Harris responded: “I said at the beginning of this debate, you’re gonna hear a bunch of lies coming from this fella. And that is another one.”
Harris confirmed that she has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky several times.
“The reality is, it has been about standing as America always should, as a leader upholding international rules and norms. As a leader who shows strength, understanding that the alliances we have around the world are dependent on our ability to look out for our friends and not favor our enemies because you adore strongmen, instead of caring about democracy. And that is very much what is at stake here,” Harris said.