Kevin Rudd lays out issues at stake for the world in US election

Kevin Rudd has outlined the issues at stake for the world in the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, warning the winner needs to stand by Ukraine to deter China.

The issues at stake for the world in next month’s US election have been laid out by Kevin Rudd, who says China will be closely watching whether America stands firm with Ukraine.

While Australia’s ambassador to the US avoided weighing in on the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, he said the world was watching the election to see how it would alter America’s ability to “lead in the world”.

Speaking alongside influential Democratic senator Jack Reed – who has been touted as a potential defence chief if Ms Harris wins – Dr Rudd put forward “the fundamental set of questions … that will be foremost in people’s minds” overseas.

“What will be the future of American policy and strategy towards Ukraine? It’s not just the interests of the 30-40 million people who live in Ukraine that are at stake,” the former prime minister said.

Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd with Democratic senator Jack Reed in the US today. Picture: Twitter

“More broadly, it’s the question of international law and the international system, and also how that’s perceived by other states including China.”

Mr Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, sparking fears he would cut off the country’s military aid and force it to cede territory that was illegally claimed by Russia.

Dr Rudd cited “the impacts of various trade measures including tariffs” as another key issue, amid concerns the former president could ignite a global trade war if he followed through on his threat to slap a universal tariff of at least 10 per cent on imports to the US.

Dr Rudd also questioned whether the next US administration would be committed to deterring China from taking military action to seize Taiwan, having spoken earlier at Rhode Island’s Salve Regina University about the “truly catastrophic” consequences of war.

This included a likely global depression, “enormous loss of life”, and a potential reshaping of the global order depending on which country prevailed, the ambassador said.

Dr Rudd said the world was also watching how the election would affect America’s stance on the need for a two-state solution in the Middle East, as well as its commitment to reducing carbon emissions under the United Nations plan to tackle climate change.

Dr Rudd cited “the impacts of various trade measures including tariffs” as another key issue.

“When the world looks at the election here in the United States, they are looking at it through the prism of these questions, and more broadly looking at it through the prism of how America would then lead in the world,” he said.

“How you Americans choose your government is a matter for you – I don’t get a vote.”

Mr Reed said he believed other world leaders wanted “continuity in the administration” and feared that if Mr Trump was victorious, he would be focused on “retribution” rather than the issues outlined by Australia’s ambassador.

Prior to taking on the diplomatic posting last year, Dr Rudd had lashed Mr Trump as “nuts” and a “traitor to the West”. He has since sought to repair relations with the Republican and his allies, with the former president saying: “If he’s at all hostile, he will not be there long.”

This week, Dr Rudd is releasing a new book on Chinese President Xi Jinping based on his doctoral thesis, in which he details his plans to up-end the world order and argues for deterrence and diplomacy to avoid “death and destruction at an unimaginable scale”.

Originally published as Kevin Rudd lays out issues at stake for the world in US election