LUCERNE, Switzerland – Vice President Kamala Harris popped over to the Ukraine Peace Summit Saturday to announce a new $1.5 billion humanitarian aid package and meet with world leaders for only a few hours — and then planned to jet back to DC before the confab’s main working day.
Harris told Kyiv’s delegation, which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, that the largest chunk of the funding would help restore Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which Russian forces have relentlessly targeted.
About $500 million from the US Agency for International Development will support Ukraine’s efforts to repair the power plants and transmission lines damaged by Russia’s attacks, as well “expand power generation and encourage private-sector investment,” the White House said.
Another $324 million of US AID funding will be redirected toward energy repair and protection.
Vice President Kamala Harris attended the Ukraine Peace Summit to announce a $1.5 billion humanitarian aid package. APIn addition, $379 million from the State Department and US AID will go toward humanitarian needs such as food, shelter and health services.
“President Biden and my support for the people of Ukraine … not out of charity, but because of the people of Ukraine and their future is in our strategic interest,” Harris said. “It is in the interest of the United States to defend democratic values and stand up to dictators.”
But the brevity of Harris’ appearance nearly overshadowed the $1.5 billion announcement, sticking out like a sore thumb as other major countries’ top leaders planned to stay on site to hammer out peace proposals Sunday for Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine, critics said.
“The entire Biden team from Joe to Kamala to [Secretary of State Antony] Blinken to [National Security Advisor] Jake [Sullivan] have never been serious about forging peace. They are the war team. Of course they aren’t making a peace summit a priority. Washington DC types need wars to keep their power,” former Trump administration acting director of national intelligence and former ambassador to Germany Ric Grinnell told The Post.
President Biden drew criticism for skipping the diplomatic event altogether, despite being in neighboring Italy at the G7 less than 24 hours before.
Harris intends to leave the summit after a leaders’ dinner Saturday evening, according to the White House, but told reporters that the gathering has already been “productive.”
Sullivan remained in Switzerland at the luxury Bürgenstock hotel home to take part in the summit in her place.
He insisted Harris is not the only leader to skip out on Sunday’s events, which will including breakout sessions to work on key issues, such as ways to secure the release of kidnapped Ukrainian children in Russia’s custody.
“Tomorrow is really – and it’s not just with her, but other leaders, as well – turning it over to their teams to really try to drive through how we convert [the issues discussed] into practical progress in these various areas,” said Sullivan, whose hotel sits atop a steep mountain dotted with sheep, and overlooks the beautiful Lake Lucerne below.
The Summit on Peace in the Ukraine brought together 101 nations, although President Biden did not attend. APThe White House announced last week that Biden — who returned to the US late Friday night after meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 the day before. — would be sending Harris to represent the US for him so he could attend a Hollywood fundraiser hosted by George Clooney on Saturday.
The purpose of the weekend summit, attended by 101 nations and organizations from across the globe, is to gather as much international support as possible for a future peace proposal that Ukraine could offer with the support of a large coalition.
Zelensky called it the “inaugural” summit on this topic and expressed hopes to invite Russia to the next gathering.
“We are here today for the sake of diplomacy. Ukraine has always believed in the power of diplomacy war is not our choice; it’s Putin’s choice,” he said. “Today we will do everything we can to start moving toward real peace through diplomacy.”
Harris said it was her sixth meeting with Zelensky, the last of which occurred during the Munich Security Conference four months ago.
“[It is] for sure not the last [time we meet] – and hopefully in better times,” she said.
