Vance, in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, said the economic pact with Kyiv sought by President Donald Trump “is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.
Vance took to X on Tuesday to clarify his remarks, claiming that it was “absurdly dishonest” to suggest he had been referring to the UK and France.
The UK and France are the only countries that have publicly committed to a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine as part of broader continental efforts to secure a deal between Moscow and Kyiv.
“I don’t even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond,” Vance posted on X, after his remarks drew an angry response from politicians and veterans in both countries, who said he was dishonouring hundreds of troops killed while fighting alongside US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
However, he went on to question the viability of what British Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier called “a coalition of the willing” to police any ceasefire in Ukraine.
“But let’s be direct: there are many countries who are volunteering (privately or publicly) support who have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful,” added Vance in the social media thread.
Vance’s criticism follows a dramatic row in the Oval Office last week during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a minerals deal with Washington. Zelensky left the White House without signing the deal.
Trump, who has been accused of sidelining both Kyiv and European allies as he moves to negotiate directly with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, has since cut off military aid to Kyiv.
Vance’s latest broadside drew criticism in the UK and France.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party said on X, “The French and British soldiers who died fighting terrorism, who fought and sometimes died alongside American soldiers, deserve better than the disdain of the American vice president.”
In the UK, Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, stated, “The disrespect shown by the new US vice president to the sacrifices of our service personnel is unacceptable.”
Obese-Jecty cited Mr Vance’s description of serving as a Marine Corps journalist in Iraq in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. The vice president had noted he “was lucky to escape any real fighting”.
Johnny Mercer, a British veteran and a former junior defence minister, called Vance a “clown”.
Vance has also disputed that the Trump administration was not pressuring Moscow to bring it to peace talks, arguing that the existing sanctions are straining Russia’s economy.
“Well, I don’t think that’s right, actually,” Vance replied to a journalist who suggested that Washington is exerting pressure on Kyiv but not on Moscow.
“We still have a number of sanctions that are placed on Russians. We do believe the Russians, economically, are struggling because of this conflict,” he added.
The comments came the same day that the US froze crucial military assistance for Ukraine in an attempt to pressure Kyiv to the negotiating table.
The decision came after a public dispute between Zelensky, Trump, and Vance in the Oval Office, after which US leaders berated the Ukrainian president for not being “ready for peace” and supposed lack of gratitude.
The aid freeze raised concerns among Kyiv’s other partners and was welcomed by the Kremlin, whose all-out war against Ukraine entered its fourth year.
The US has intensified diplomatic outreach to Moscow, holding two rounds of bilateral talks last month. The Trump administration has so far kept the sanctions against Russia imposed by the Biden administration in place, but the US media reported that the White House is considering easing some of them as part of a peace process.
“We believe it is in Russia’s best interest, and the United States’ and Ukraine’s best interest, to bring this conflict to a close. We believe applying pressure to everybody to stop the killing. That’s what the president’s policy is,” Vance continued.
