Kamala Harris' VP selection: How do they align on Ukraine policy?

There is much anticipation about whom Kamala Harris will select as her running mate to challenge Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in November. With Harris expected to announce her choice before August 7th, let's examine how her potential picks view the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine will likely be one of the key campaign issues in the months to come, so picking the right running mate when it comes to this explosive political toipv will be an important decision for Harris. But who’s in the running?

There are just a handful of candidates who repeatedly get brought up in news headlines about who might join Harris on the Democratic ticket. These names include JB Pritzker, Andy Basher, Josh Shapiro, Mark Kelly, Tim Walz, and Gretchen Whitmer. 

Pritzker is the great-grandson of Jewish Ukrainian immigrants who condemned the war in a December 2022 press release where he called the Kremlin’s invasion an “unlawful invasion and occupation of Ukraine by Russian forces."

As recently as April 2024, Pritzker made it clear that he supported Ukraine, and in an X post on the 16th of April he wrote that his state of Illinois' commitment to Kyiv would not weaken, adding he stood proudly with the “entire nation in the face of Russia’s attempt to undermine democracy.”

Photo Credit: X @GovPritzker

In March 2022, Beshear released a guide on how citizens of Pennsylvania could donate to the people of Ukraine and offered remarks of support for the country according to a report from journalists at the Kyiv Independent.  

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported on July 29th that Beshear has been put on a sanctions list by Russia for what reporter Robert Farley wrote was a “relatively anodyne statement condemning Russia’s invasion.” He is now banned from traveling to Russia. 

Shapiro tweeted his support for Ukraine when the invasion started: “Pennsylvania is home to the second largest population of Ukrainians in the United States,” he wrote. “As they fear for their family, friends, and their country today, we stand with them.”

Walz is a former Army National Guardsman and not unlike many of the Democrats on this list, he supports Ukraine and even met virtually with President Volodymyr Zelensky in April 2023 as part of a meeting organized by the National Governors Association. 

“It was an honor to hear from President Zelensky firsthand and offer him our unwavering support,” Walz said in a statement following the meeting according to The Kyiv Independent. 

“Minnesota is a proud home to many Ukrainian families, and we will continue to welcome and support Ukrainian refugees in our state,” Walz added. He also signed legislation prohibiting the state of Minnesota from doing business with Russia or Belarus. 

Kelly may be the most ardent Ukraine supporter of Vice President Harris’ possible picks for her running mate, which makes sense considering he is a former U.S. Navy pilot and has advocated in Washington on behalf of Ukraine. 

Kelly has also already been hitting out at Trump for his running mate choice and has tried to distinguish himself on the issue of Ukraine by pointing out that both Trump and Vance have terrible positions when it comes to supporting the embattled country. 

“It’s pretty clear to me you’ve got JD Vance who wants to abandon Ukraine, and you’ve got Donald Trump who has been in the past rather pro-Russia and leaned in with Vladimir Putin in ways I would never expect the president to do,” Kelly said in a July 24th interview with Politico, 

“So again, we have a serious choice to make, and I’d be really concerned about what those guys would do to abandon an ally in favor of an adversary. And that would be a much more dangerous world.” Kelly added. 

Whitmer quickly took clear actions to divest Michigan from any business the state had with Russia in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine according to a March 1st, 2023 press release, and she has continued to be a supporter of the country. 

“Let me be clear: the attacks against Ukraine’s democratic government are heinous and illegal. Our Ukrainian neighbors need our support now more than ever. I want our community here in Michigan to know we’ve got their backs,” Whitmer wrote on X in April 2022. 

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Photo Credit: X @GovWhitmer