US Vice President James David Vance said Tuesday that his comments downplaying the military prowess of nations backing a potential European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine were not directed at France or Britain.
British and French officials have stated that they would be willing to send ground troops to help Ukraine and Russia reach a peace agreement.
On Monday, Vance responded in an interview with Fox News by mocking the idea of sending “20,000 troops from some random country that has not fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
Following an outcry from politicians in London and Paris over his remarks, Vance wrote on X that the criticism was “absurdly dishonest.”
“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,” stated Vance.
However, he persisted in challenging the fundamental notion of an Anglo-French “coalition of the willing” to oversee any truce in Ukraine.
“There are many countries that are volunteering (privately or publicly) that have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful,” he explained.
Afterwards, when addressing reporters on Capitol Hill, Vance seemed to retract his remarks even more.
“Obviously — and we appreciate this — the British and the French have offered to step up in a big way; that’s very, very important,” Vance responded when asked if it was feasible for European peacekeepers to contribute to the solution.
Following the 9/11 attacks, French and British forces accompanied American troops in Afghanistan. In 2003, the US-led invasion of Iraq included British troops as well.
Vance has been positioning himself as the attack dog for President Donald Trump’s foreign policy in recent days, especially in relation to Europe.
His speech, which was perceived as an aggressive broadside against the continent and Germany in particular, shocked European leaders at the Munich Security Conference last month. He accused them of restricting free expression and banning parties that expressed serious immigration concerns.
During a visit to the White House on Thursday, Vance then questioned British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the problem of free speech. The next day, he intensified his remarks.
During a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office last Friday, the vice president was the first to criticise Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, leaving allies in shock.
Zelensky stated on Tuesday that the dispute was “regrettable” and that he wished to “make things right” with the US after Trump halted US backing for Kyiv against Russia.
Trump has so far declined to include the United States in the peacekeeping mission proposed by France and the United Kingdom, and he has been accused of ignoring Kyiv and European allies as he seeks to engage in direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
