Former Donald Trump on Tuesday side-stepped a question on whether he wants Ukraine to win the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion in February 2022.

“I want the war to stop. I want to save lives,” Mr. Trump said from the presidential debate stage in Philadelphia.

Vice President Kamala Harris said it sounds like Mr. Trump wants to cave to Mr. Putin.

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Mr. Trump “would just give it up,” Ms. Harris said. “That’s not who we are as Americans.”

Ms. Harris defended the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Kyiv. She said Mr. Trump does not seem to understand the importance of the NATO alliance that serves as a check on global strongmen. 

She said if Mr. Trump were president now, Mr. Putin would be “sitting in Kyiv.”

Mr. Trump said the war wouldn’t have happened at all, pointing to his efforts to get Europe to increase its defense spending and resist Moscow’s power.

“That is a war that’s dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I’m even president,” Mr. Trump said.

Pressed on whether it’s in American interests for Ukraine to win, he said: “I think it’s the U.S. best interest to get this war and just get it done.”

Mr. Trump warned that Mr. Putin has nuclear weapons and, if there isn’t a settlement, the globe will face World War III.

“That war should have never started,” he said.