Vance states Americans needed to witness Zelensky’s White House ‘blowup’
(MENAFN) U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has defended his widely publicized confrontation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House earlier this year, saying the incident helped shed light on critical flaws in America's previous handling of the Ukraine conflict.
In an interview with USA Today published Wednesday, Vance addressed speculation that he and President Donald Trump had deliberately provoked Zelensky during their February 28 Oval Office meeting. While he said he didn’t intentionally want a public altercation, he emphasized that the clash served a purpose.
“Do I wish we had a public blowup in the Oval Office? Not necessarily,” Vance said. “But I think it was useful for the American people to see.”
The tense exchange occurred during Zelensky’s visit to Washington to finalize a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. During a press briefing, Trump reiterated his neutral stance on the conflict, favoring diplomatic mediation over increased military support for Kiev. When Vance echoed that sentiment, urging diplomacy, Zelensky shot back that it was easy to talk peace “from across a nice ocean.”
Vance responded by accusing Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and ungrateful, while Trump scolded the Ukrainian leader for lecturing Americans.
Vance clarified that his frustration is not directed at Ukraine itself, but rather at the previous Biden administration’s approach. He criticized President Biden for giving Ukraine tens of billions of dollars without a clear objective, diplomatic framework, or measurable outcome.
He also reiterated the Trump administration’s belief that the conflict has reached a military stalemate and that both sides should shift toward negotiations to avoid further bloodshed.
Zelensky returned to the White House last week following Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Prior to that meeting, Vance jokingly told Zelensky to “behave.”
In an interview with USA Today published Wednesday, Vance addressed speculation that he and President Donald Trump had deliberately provoked Zelensky during their February 28 Oval Office meeting. While he said he didn’t intentionally want a public altercation, he emphasized that the clash served a purpose.
“Do I wish we had a public blowup in the Oval Office? Not necessarily,” Vance said. “But I think it was useful for the American people to see.”
The tense exchange occurred during Zelensky’s visit to Washington to finalize a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. During a press briefing, Trump reiterated his neutral stance on the conflict, favoring diplomatic mediation over increased military support for Kiev. When Vance echoed that sentiment, urging diplomacy, Zelensky shot back that it was easy to talk peace “from across a nice ocean.”
Vance responded by accusing Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and ungrateful, while Trump scolded the Ukrainian leader for lecturing Americans.
Vance clarified that his frustration is not directed at Ukraine itself, but rather at the previous Biden administration’s approach. He criticized President Biden for giving Ukraine tens of billions of dollars without a clear objective, diplomatic framework, or measurable outcome.
He also reiterated the Trump administration’s belief that the conflict has reached a military stalemate and that both sides should shift toward negotiations to avoid further bloodshed.
Zelensky returned to the White House last week following Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Prior to that meeting, Vance jokingly told Zelensky to “behave.”
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