Secretary of State Blinken stresses global commitments to support Ukraine if it is abandoned under Trump

Ukraine is on its way to being able to “stand on its own two feet” militarily, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on July 19, pointing out that more than 20 other countries have pledged to maintain their own military and financial assistance to the country even if the United States under a different president withdraws its support.

Blinken addressed directly for the first time the possibility that convicted felon and former President Donald Trump could rig the November election and abandon his commitments to Ukraine. The United States, under President Joe Biden, has been the main supporter of Ukraine's more than two-year-long fight against invading Russian forces.

Trump's public statements have fluctuated between criticism and support of U.S. support for Ukraine's defense, while his running mate, Senator JD Vance, is leading Republican efforts to block billions in U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.

With Trump's campaign gaining momentum and Biden faltering, concerns have grown in Ukraine and among its supporters that the country could lose crucial support from the United States.

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone on July 19.

“I have noted the important bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our country's freedom and independence,” President Zelensky wrote on X, saying they had agreed to “discuss at a personal meeting what steps can enable a just and truly lasting peace.”

Trump said on his social media platform that he appreciated President Zelensky's commitment and promised to “end the war that has cost so many lives and destroyed countless innocent families.”

Blinken said on July 19 that any new administration must take into account the strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempts to expand Moscow's territory and influence.

“Every administration, of course, has the ability to determine its own policies. We cannot dictate the future,” Blinken told an audience of U.S. politicians and others at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

However, he pointed to security agreements signed by the United States and more than 20 other allies – including some NATO partners, Japan and the European Union – at a NATO summit in Washington in July.

“If we were to move away from that … I suppose that would be possible, but fortunately there are about 20 other countries doing the same thing,” Blinken said.

Ukraine itself is on a course to ensure that it stands on its own two feet militarily, economically and democratically, Blinken said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also made similar appeals to the international community on July 19 during an online question-and-answer session on the social media site Reddit. He particularly stressed Kyiv's willingness to cooperate with whichever party wins the US elections.

“I believe any U.S. administration should respect three characteristics that distinguish Ukraine from other American partners who have asked for its support,” he said.

“We never asked US troops to fight and die for Ukraine. We only asked for weapons and support for our economy. We never intended to rely on foreign aid indefinitely. That is why we are reforming our economy and last year we tripled domestic weapons production. This year we plan to increase it sixfold. And we are completely transparent about how we use US aid.”