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As US election nears, Europe worries over impact on Ukraine war and NATO




BRUSSELS, October 30 ------ As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump enter the final days of their close-fought White House contest, Europe is jittery about the potential impact of the U.S. presidential election on the war in Ukraine and the continent's security. "A half-sentence uttered in a farm in southern Idaho brings everybody from Porto to Helsinki to panic," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg quipped to Reuters, urging Europeans to stay calm to avoid feeding a sense of insecurity. 

  

Finnish President Alexander Stubb told Reuters "all of us are waiting for the elections to be over" due to their international ramifications. When it comes to Ukraine and European security, many European officials say they are worried about a win for Republican former President Trump on Nov. 5, given turbulent transatlantic relations in his previous term, his past strong criticism of NATO and his ambivalent view of Kyiv's fight against Russia's invasion. They say any end to the Ukraine war that Vladimir Putin sees as a victory could embolden the Russian president to attack a NATO country. A German spy chief warned 

  

In recent weeks, Reuters spoke with more than 20 senior European officials about the impact on Ukraine of the U.S. vote. Many spoke anonymously to discuss a vital ally. One theme dominated their comments: Uncertainty, fueled by what they cited as Trump's unpredictability during his 2017-2021 first term. Together with the Biden administration, European officials have implemented measures they say should soften the blow of any quick withdrawal of U.S. aid to Kyiv were Trump to take office in January, including a $50 billion loan to Ukraine and a rejig of military aid coordination. Those would be only a temporary reprieve for Kyiv, however. Harris, the Democratic candidate and President Joe Biden's vice president, is widely expected to keep supporting Ukraine while seeking to avoid escalation if she wins the election. 

  

Source: reuters.com   

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