Vance\u2019s remarks on a Ukraine peacekeeping force sparked backlash from UK and French officials
\n washington
\nUS President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had sent him a letter expressing gratitude for US support and indicating Ukraine\u2019s willingness to negotiate a peace deal with Russia. Zelenskyy also reportedly signaled readiness to sign a critical minerals agreement with the US, a deal that could strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
\nTrump made the remarks during his address to Congress, just days after a tense Oval Office meeting between himself, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy. That meeting ended in a public breakdown over disagreements on US military aid and future cooperation.
\nTrump quotes Zelenskyy\u2019s letter on peace and economic ties
\nTrump, addressing lawmakers, quoted Zelenskyy\u2019s letter, saying the Ukrainian leader had expressed a desire for peace and appreciation for past US assistance.
\n\u201cUkraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,\u201d Trump read. \u201cNobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians.\u201d
\nAccording to Trump, Zelenskyy also expressed willingness to sign the minerals deal.
\n\u201cWe do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence,\u201d Trump quoted the letter as saying. \u201cWe are ready to sign the minerals deal at any time that is convenient for you.\u201d
\nTrump did not clarify whether the letter would influence his administration\u2019s policy, particularly his recent decision to pause US military aid to Ukraine.
\nVance pushes economic deal over peacekeeping force
\nEarlier Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance emphasized the economic agreement as a stronger deterrent against Russia than the proposed post-war international peacekeeping force supported by Britain and France.
\n\u201cThe minerals deal is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn\u2019t fought a war in 30 or 40 years,\u201d Vance said in an interview with Fox News\u2019 Sean Hannity.
\nThe Trump administration has argued that strengthening US-Ukraine economic ties through mineral resource agreements could serve as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.
\nBacklash From US Allies Over Vance\u2019s Remarks
\nVance\u2019s comments on \u201crandom countries\u201d sent diplomatic ripples through Europe, particularly in Britain and France, who have proposed a peacekeeping mission to secure Ukraine\u2019s borders in the event of a truce.
\nUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have been leading the push for a multinational force, which could prevent Russia from launching another invasion.
\nCriticism of Vance\u2019s remarks came swiftly
\nNigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, called the vice president\u2019s comments \u201cwrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.\u201d
\nLiberal Democrat defense spokeswoman Helen Maguire demanded that the UK ambassador to Washington seek an apology, accusing Vance of erasing the sacrifices of British soldiers who fought alongside US forces.
\n\u201cJD Vance is erasing from history the hundreds of British troops who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan,\u201d Maguire said.
\nFrench Defense Minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu later noted that Vance had walked back his comments, acknowledging the British and French military contributions over the past two decades.
\nTensions persist over scrapped minerals deal
\nThe minerals deal was expected to be finalized during Zelenskyy\u2019s White House visit last week. However, plans were abruptly scrapped after a heated exchange between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
\nUkraine is rich in strategic minerals, including titanium, lithium, and manganese, resources crucial to US aerospace, electric vehicles, and medical manufacturing. The proposed deal was seen as a way for Kyiv to repay Washington for military aid provided during the war.
\nWith US-Ukraine relations now strained, it remains unclear whether the minerals agreement will move forward or if Trump\u2019s administration will reconsider military aid policies in light of Zelenskyy\u2019s letter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vance\u2019s remarks on a Ukraine peacekeeping force sparked backlash from UK and French officials washington US President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had sent him a letter expressing gratitude for US support and indicating Ukraine\u2019s willingness to negotiate a peace deal with Russia. Zelenskyy also reportedly signaled readiness to sign a critical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":465453,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-465428","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n