2024-07-17 17:19:15
Asked to explain whether US support for Ukraine will change in defense against Russian aggression if the Republican candidate Donald Trump wins the US presidential election, Bacon said that 70% of Americans support Ukraine, their “vote will be decisive”, so the support will continue in any case.
“In a responsible position, responsible decisions must be made. People are aware of the consequences if Russia wins in Ukraine. We need to help Ukraine defend itself, because if we don’t do that, Russia will not stop at Ukraine,” said the US congressman.
Speaking about the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Bacon said that the main thing is for Ukraine to feel comfortable and lead these talks. “As long as Russia is occupying Ukrainian territories, bombing its cities, you can’t say that Russia wants peace, but at some point Russia has to come to a point when it has had enough,” the politician said, adding that Russia has already lost around 400,000 soldiers on the battlefield , which is about as much as the US lost in World War II.
“Peace is better than war, but Russia must be ready to achieve that peace, and what that peace looks like must depend on Ukraine,” said the US congressman.
Bacon pointed out that the USA appreciates Latvia’s contribution to defense, allocating almost 3% of the gross domestic product (GDP) to it in the budget, as well as providing support to Ukraine in the war against Russia.
“We want to ensure that a better air defense system is created for Latvia in cooperation with NATO, so that there are enough of our forces here, sending the message to Russia that an attack on the Baltic States would also mean an attack on the USA,” Bacon said, noting that the region’s security plays a very important role the security initiative of the Baltic states takes place in strengthening.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Siliņa, after meeting with the President Edgars Rinkēvičs, told journalists that she had already met with the second delegation of the US Congress in a short period of time.
Siliņa emphasized that during the meeting there was a clear confirmation of Latvia’s security, which is in the focus of the US’s attention. According to her, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential elections, the US Congress has support for Latvia.
“They are well aware of how much the Baltic countries have invested in their security and how they have fought for democracy in the region, Europe and the world. They see that we can be good lawyers in the way we have been able to explain what Russia is doing and how they influence social networks and public opinion with their propaganda,” said the Prime Minister.
Also, during the conversation, it was confirmed that the USA supports and will continue to support Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Siliņa met with the delegation of the US Congress led by Congressman Bacon. During the meeting, issues of close cooperation between Latvia and the US were discussed, mainly focusing on areas such as security, defense and economy.
It has been reported that Trump has previously said that he would be able to bring about an end to the war on the first day after returning to the White House. He has not hidden his sympathies for Putin and has not responded to the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to come to Ukraine to assess the situation in person before making suggestions about ending the war.
2024-07-17 17:19:15