The VP says he didn’t laugh at allies who fought in the US-led war after Britain, France promises to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.
US Vice President JD Vance denied that his criticism of Ukraine’s European peacekeeping forces targeted Britain and France, both of which have supported US-led wars in the past.
In an interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity aired Monday evening, Vance said the economic deal with Kiev that President Donald Trump is “a much better security guarantee than the 20,000 troops from random countries that have not been at war in 30 or 40 years.”
Vance won X on Tuesday, making his statement clear and claiming that it was “absurdly unjust” to suggest that he had mentioned Britain and France.
The UK and France are the only countries that have publicly committed to Ukraine’s European peacekeeping forces as part of a broader continental effort to secure deals between Moscow and Kiev.
“I don’t even mention Britain or France in the clips that have fought bravely with the US over the past 20 years,” Vance posted on X.
However, he questioned the feasibility of what British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer previously called a “rejoiced coalition” to police the Ukraine ceasefire.
“But let’s be direct. There are many countries where there are many volunteers (personally or publicly) volunteers who don’t have battlefield experience or military equipment,” Vance said in a social media thread.
Vance’s criticism follows a dramatic line in an oval office last week during a visit to Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky to sign a mineral contract with Washington. Zelenskyy left the White House without signing the contract.
Trump, who has been accused of standing by both Kiev and his European allies as he moves to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has since cut off military aid to Kiev.
Vance’s latest broadside has sparked criticism in the UK and France.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance Party said in X that “French and British soldiers who fought terrorism, which occasionally died in the fight against American soldiers, are better than the American vice president’s dad.”
In the UK, Ben Obese, a Conservative MP who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, said “the rudeness shown by the new vice president for the sacrifice of our service personnel is unacceptable.”
Obese cited Vance’s account of serving as an Iraqi Marine Corps journalist in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. The Vice President said, “I was lucky to be able to escape the real battle.”
British veteran and former vice minister Johnny Mercer called Vance a “clown.”
