The outcome of this fall’s presidential election will profoundly impact the well-being and daily freedoms of the American people. But the election’s consequences will be enormous, too, for countries that share our values and interests around the world—starting with Poland, Romania, and the Baltics.

Twenty years ago, I was privileged to serve as our country’s ambassador to Romania at a time when Romania sought to become a NATO ally. As with Poland five years earlier, Romania committed to the values that we as allies share and willingly took on the responsibility of becoming a sentry of freedom for us all.

It’s clear today that Ukraine’s battle against Russian invasion is hardly just about territory. It’s a fight to preserve principles of sovereignty, international law, and justice. It’s a fight against a despot’s desire to uproot the very freedoms that we—Americans, Romanians, and Poles alike—cherish in our daily lives.

To be blunt, the safety and security of Romania, Poland, and the Baltic countries, along with the well-being of its citizens, would be collateral damage to the sellout of Ukraine that Trump has all but promised. So would NATO’s effectiveness as a cornerstone of our security. And so would the principle-based leadership for which America has stood from the earliest days of the Cold War.

Both in office and out, Trump’s foreign policy has been marked by dangerous naivete. His interests and statements have been erratic and unpredictable. He’s shown zero interest in harnessing the knowledge and experience of specialists who’ve worked across their lifetimes to identify and advance our country’s global security priorities.

Trump’s notorious Helsinki summit in 2018, where he sided with Putin over the insights of U.S. intelligence agencies, underscored his inability to challenge the Kremlin. So do his disdain for NATO, his opposition to sending military aid to Kyiv, and his goggle-eyed, school-boy-crush praise for Putin.

In contrast, Harris consistently has shown a clear-eyed, strategic awareness of how critical it is to defend Ukraine—and a steely determination to reach that goal.

Harris has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy multiple times to discuss intelligence and battlefield strategies. With President Biden, she has been a leader in ensuring European allies remain unified in supporting Ukraine. She’s also been engaged in efforts to coordinate sanctions on Russia and facilitate the delivery of essential weapons.

Harris’ declaration at the Munich Security Conference in 2023 that Russia had committed crimes against humanity further only solidified her role as a leader in the fight against Russian atrocity—and as the kind of president we need.

Shortly after Russia’s invasion, I was heartened that Harris traveled to Poland and Romania, reinforcing America’s commitment to NATO’s defense to the leaders of those two countries. This was not a random trip. Poland’s defense expenditures are almost double the goal NATO has set for members. Both Poland and Romania are providing Ukraine with fighter planes, tanks, and air defense systems critical to its defense.

Poland and Romania now stand at the forefront of freedom—inspired, I’d say, by the example of a “shining city upon a hill” that Ronald Reagan immortalized in his farewell address to our country. They need and deserve an American administration with a sharp-eyed commitment to our shared security—and so do we.

There’s no doubt that re-electing Donald Trump would embolden Putin. We need a leader like Vice President Harris—someone who understands that international alliances and principles are core to America’s leadership in a dangerous world and ultimately to our own security as well.

About the Author: 

Ambassador Michael Guest served as U.S. ambassador to Romania and was a foreign service officer for twenty-six years. During this time, he focused on building good governance and democratic institutions in countries emerging from communist rule. He began his career as an assistant press secretary in the Reagan White House.

Image: Shutterstock.com.