“I hope the Harris administration will be a bit different,” Whitmore said at the 10th Kyiv Security Forum.
“She belongs to a younger generation, she was a prosecutor, and we could see this as a contest between Harris the prosecutor and [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin the criminal."
Regarding Donald Trump, Whitmore suggested that his presidency would be unlikely to benefit Ukraine.
“His rhetoric, along with that of his vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance, suggests he will adopt a traditionally American isolationist stance,” the expert said.
“He doesn't seem friendly toward Ukraine; it's as if he lacks empathy for Ukraine and its people.”
He also recalled Trump's threats to withdraw from NATO, which, although not realized, indicate his indifference to the Alliance's issues. Additionally, Whitmore noted that Trump has repeatedly expressed respect for Putin, which raises serious concerns.
“This really worries me; I expect the traditional American, pro-Ukrainian approach to be upheld by the Harris administration,” he concluded.
“And it might be more decisive than in the Biden administration.”
The Kyiv Security Forum was established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation. Yatsenyuk served as Ukraine’s Prime Minister in 2014-2016.