Rajevs: US Election Outcome Will Affect Support for Ukraine, but Not Hinge on One Politician
Latvian parliament member and army reserve colonel Igors Rajevs says the US election result could significantly shape support for Ukraine. He notes that the Republican Party also includes influential backers of Ukraine.
The outcome of the US elections could substantially affect the support Ukraine receives in its war against Russia. This was said by Igors Rajevs, a member of Latvia's Saeima (parliament) not affiliated with any faction and a reserve colonel of the National Armed Forces (NBS), on the TV24 programme "On the War in Ukraine with Igors Rajevs". In his view, there is no reason to assume everything will depend on the stance of a single politician.
An election as a turning point
Rajevs considers the US election result one of the most important turning points. It will largely determine how events develop and how much attention Washington can devote to resolving the war in Ukraine.
He recalled that Donald Trump's chances of becoming US president were once rated very low in Latvia, yet he won. For that reason, Rajevs said, no one should rush to firm conclusions this time either. He noted that assessments tend to differ depending on which news channel one follows, CNN or Fox.
Possible scenarios
If Trump and the Republicans succeeded in the elections, it could influence both the president's future actions and his ability to turn to international issues. Rajevs explained that Trump has big ambitions and wants to leave a lasting legacy in American history.
Yet the president's attention could be diverted by domestic political struggles. If Democrats kept trying to push through impeachment, the Ukraine issue might slip into the background. In that case, Rajevs argued, Ukraine should not expect significant US support in the coming years.
The Republican Party is not uniform
At the same time, the deputy stressed that the Republican Party includes so-called hawks, politicians who firmly back Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and continued aid to Ukraine. He recalled that historically the party has in many matters been even more hawkish than the Democratic Party, so it is wrong to assume all Republicans hold the same position on Ukraine.
"It's not all so clear-cut and not everything is simply black and white, but we will see how it all develops," Rajevs said, adding that the current situation is not favourable for Ukraine.
