With less than six weeks to go before the election, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are putting a focus on foreign policy.
Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Friday while Harris visited the southern border.
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Each moment showcased critical foreign policy priorities at stake in the 2024 election, spanning the globe and piquing the interest of international experts.
"This is probably the most consequential foreign policy election since 2008," said University of New Hampshire Professor Kurk Dorsey.
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"There are fundamental shifts taking place in the international system as we know it," said Boston University Professor Thomas Berger.
The meeting of Trump and Zelenskyy was their first in five years.
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NBC News reported that, before the meeting began, Trump complained about his 2019 impeachment, which stemmed from a phone call between the two leaders, in which Trump has been said to have withheld aid in exchange for dirt on now-President Joe Biden's son.
In the years since, Trump has faced continued criticism for his positions on the war in Ukraine, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin "genius" in the early days of his invasion.
Friday's meeting almost did not occur after an interview with The New Yorker in which Zelenskyy called Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, "too radical" for suggesting "that Ukraine must make a sacrifice."
"We're going to work very much with both parties to try and get this settled, to get this worked out. It has to end," said Trump.
Zelenskyy said American support for Ukraine is needed regardless of who wins the White House.
"We hope the strength of the United States will be very strong and we can count on it," Zelenskyy said. "That's why I decided to meet with both candidates."
Onlookers see the interaction as a calculated political move by both men.
"Zelenskyy's card that he's trying to play is, 'If you're president of the United States in 2025, I will work with you,'" said Dorsey.
"He's signaling his potential role as a mediator and a tough bargainer," said Berger.
While each candidate tackles these issues, opinions are split on whether it will matter come Election Day.
"I think in terms of foreign policy, not much is going to move the needle between now and Nov. 5," said Dorsey.
"When foreign policy issues come up, people focus on it. They focus on these questions," said Berger.
