Regardless of outcome of presidential election, US will continue to support Ukraine - US Congressman

RIGA - Regardless of the outcome of the forthcoming US presidential election, the United States will continue to support Ukraine, US Congressman Don Bacon who co-chairs the Baltic Security Caucus, told reporters following a meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) on Wednesday. 

Asked whether the US support for Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression will change if Republican candidate Donald Trump wins the presidential election, Bacon said that 70 percent of Americans support Ukraine, their voice will prevail, so support will continue in any case.

''A responsible position requires taking responsible decisions. People are aware of the consequences of a Russian victory in Ukraine. We must help Ukraine to defend itself, because if we don't, Russia will not stop at Ukraine," said the US Congressman.

On the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Bacon said that the most important thing was for Ukraine to feel comfortable and to lead the talks. "As long as Russia is occupying Ukrainian territories, bombing Ukrainian cities, one cannot say that Russia wants peace, but at some point Russia has to reach a point where it has had enough," the politician said, adding that Russia has already lost around 400,000 soldiers on the battlefield, roughly the same number as the US lost in World War II.

Peace is better than war, but Russia must be prepared to make that peace, and it should be up to Ukraine to decide what this peace should look like, the US Congressman said.

"We want to ensure that a better air defense system is developed for Latvia in cooperation with NATO, that we have enough forces here to convey the message to Russia that an attack on the Baltic states would mean an attack on the US," said Bacon, noting that the Baltic Security Initiative plays a very important role in strengthening security in the region.

After a meeting with President Edgars Rinkevics on Wednesday, Prime Minister Silina told reporters that she has already met with a second US delegation in a short period of time. 

Silina stressed that the meeting gave a clear reassurance of Latvia's security, which is a US focus. In her words, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential elections, there is support for Latvia in the US Congress.

"They are well aware of the contribution the Baltic states have made to their security and how they have fought for democracy in the region, in Europe and in the world. They see that we can be good advocates in how we have been able to explain what Russia is doing and how they influence social networks and public opinion with their propaganda," the prime minister said.

The talks also provided reassurance that the US has and will continue to support Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Silina met with a US Congressional delegation led by Congressman Bacon. During the meeting, they discussed issues related to the close cooperation between Latvia and the US, focusing mainly on the areas of security, defense and economy.

As reported, Trump has previously said that he would be able to bring an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. He has made no secret of his affection for Putin and has not responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's invitation to come to Ukraine to assess the situation first-hand before making proposals to end the war.