CNN
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Vice President JD Vance warned on Thursday that if Russian leader Vladimir Putin does not negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine in good faith, the US could attack Russia with economic and military “tools of leverage” .
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Vance said that sending US troops to Ukraine is “on the table,” and if the peace agreement does not guarantee long-term independence for Kiev, economic punishment is economic punishment. He said there was.
“There’s an economic tool for leverage. Of course, there’s a military leverage tool,” Vance told the newspaper.
His comments include US President Donald Trump, who proposed this week that Ukraine “may be Russian one day,” just before Ukraine announced peace talks would begin shortly after he made a call with Putin. It speaks in a different tone than other recent statements from the White House. .
Vance’s statement also contrasts with Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, who said the US no longer prioritizes European and Ukraine safety. This week he told NATO allies that European and non-European troops, not Americans, must police the agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
CNN reached out to the White House for comment.
An interview with the Wall Street Journal was published before Vance met with Ukrainian President Voldy Milzelensky at the high-level Munich security conference in Germany.
Upon arriving in Munich vance, NATO said it was an important alliance for the United States.
“Of course, Europe is a very important ally for the US. NATO is a very important military alliance. But we want to make sure NATO is actually built for the future. Some of it is , to ensure that NATO will put a little more burden on — we share in Europe so that the US can focus on some of our challenges in East Asia,” Vance said. He spoke with reporters next to Mark Latte.
The air of uncertainty and uncertainty that Trump’s announcement enveloped Europe last week is fearful that a “dirty deal” might be struck with Putin to end the war on conditions favorable to Moscow without Kiev’s involvement caused.
Many in Europe were shocked that Trump appears to have made important concessions to Moscow before agreeing to peace talks. His and Hegseth’s comments also questioned the future of NATO’s unity, resources and funding, as well as the foundations of European security since World War II.
It was also surprising that Trump spoke to Putin before speaking to Zelensky. On Thursday, European leaders revealed that the peace agreement should involve Ukraine at the heart of the negotiations.
After the announcement of Trump’s peace deal negotiations, French President Emmanuel Macron described his return to the White House as a “electro shock” in an interview with the financial era.
Macron stressed the need for Europe to strengthen its economy and defense, and agreed to Trump’s stance that Ukraine’s security is Europe’s responsibility. However, he also emphasized that only Ukraine could negotiate for itself, and that peace, which was “subord,” was bad news for everyone.
This story has been updated with additional information.
