Who stands for what?

Harris and Trump stand for “America first”

The center of power - the White House in Washington

(Bild: APA/AFP/PATRICK T. FALLON)

The election for the White House is over. The question is what lies ahead for the world: the differences between the two candidates are not that great - except when it comes to the war in Ukraine ...

From a European perspective, the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine is certainly the biggest and most dangerous foreign policy problem, as the fighting is taking place right on our doorstep. The USA is the most important supporter of the government in Kiev, ahead of Germany, both financially and in terms of weapons and ammunition.

Does the USA continue to support Kiev?
Kamala Harris, the previous Vice President of the USA, has always supported President Biden's course and promised before the election to continue to support Ukraine "as long as necessary".

Kamala Harris and the Ukrainian President Selenskyj

(Bild: AFP/Tobias SCHWARZ)

However, even under Joe Biden and his friend, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, military aid was only enough to save Ukraine from capitulation. The support has therefore already been far too little for the victory against Russia dreamed of by Ukrainian President Zelensky.

Biden and Scholz say they want to prevent further escalation. Kamala Harris will take a similar approach. However, there are increasingly loud voices on both the American and European sides calling for negotiations.

Analyzes for the "Krone": foreign policy expert Christian Hauenstein

(Bild: stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

Trump wants to end the war "in 24 hours"
In contrast to Harris, Donald Trump has promised to "end the war in 24 hours". If elected, Trump has repeatedly stated that he will have concluded a deal with Putin before he enters the White House on 20 January. In Trump's mind, it is absurd to finance a war in which he believes the USA has nothing to gain. How realistic Trump's promises are was initially unclear.

Donald Trump does not want to continue funding the war in Ukraine.

(Bild: APA/AP)

What is certain is that Trump will insist that all NATO countries meet their financial obligations. He does not see why America should pay for the security of others. Harris probably takes a similar view, but would at least be more friendly in tone.

It is unclear whether either candidate could actually end the war.

(Bild: AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Focus on Israel and the Middle East
In the Middle East, both Trump and Harris are firmly on Israel's side as its most important ally and want to keep Iran and its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen in check.

Unlike Trump, however, Harris still believes in the two-state solution, which Netanyahu rejects. And she criticizes Israel's particularly harsh warfare. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu hopes that this criticism will fall silent under Trump, who is unconditionally on the side of Jerusalem, as he proved in his first presidency.

China looks calmly towards Washington
China's President Xi is likely to take a very relaxed view of Washington. His country has grown to become the only serious competitor to the USA and will no longer allow itself to be driven from this position. Not even through economic sanctions and import tariffs, which - to varying degrees - both Harris and Trump stand for.

That leaves climate policy, where Trump wants to cut subsidies for e-cars, for example, while Harris wants to expand them. However, both want to maintain the controversial fracking for gas extraction. 

It is clear that for both Harris and Trump, the motto is: "America first!"