Vance says Europe 'on the cusp of peace' as Trump pushes for talks with Russia
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Vice President Vance defended President Trump’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine War on Thursday as the president ramps up his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“What makes [Trump] such an effective negotiator, I’ve seen this in private, is that he doesn’t take anything off of the table,” Vance said during remarks at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.
“Of course that makes the heads explode in the American media because they say ‘why are you talking to Russia?’ Well how are you going to end the war unless you’re talking to Russia? You’ve got to talk to everybody involved in the fighting if you actually want to bring the conflict to a close, and I know the president does.”
Vance emphasized what he said was Trump’s desire for “lasting peace in Europe.”
“Peace is in the interest of Russia, it’s in the interest of Ukraine, it’s in the interest of Europe, but most importantly peace is in the interest of the American people, and he’s going to fight for it for the remainder of his administration,” he said. “I really believe that we’re on the cusp of peace in Europe for the first time in three years.”
Vance’s comments come as Trump has escalated his criticism against Zelensky, referring to him as a “dictator” in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. Additionally, Trump blamed Ukraine for starting the three-year war with Russia, which started when Moscow kicked off an unprovoked attack on the country in February 2022.
Trump has reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to reestablish ties between Washington and Moscow and to begin the negotiating process of ending the war in Ukraine. Trump’s move marks a stark departure from the U.S.’s foreign policy under the Biden administration.
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