Vance forced to clarify remarks on French and British troops in Ukraine
Photo: JD Vance, US Vice President (Getty Images)
US Vice President JD Vance made ambiguous comments regarding the potential involvement of British and French troops in a ceasefire monitoring mission in Ukraine. Following the remarks, the American politician had to deny any disrespect towards the armed forces of these European countries, according to Reuters.
Vance's statements that outraged London and Paris
Vance made these remarks on Monday during an interview with Fox News, discussing the end of the Russia-Ukraine war and the pursuit of lasting peace.
According to the US Vice President, the best way to ensure peace in Ukraine is to provide the US with access to Ukraine's mineral resources, following an agreement between Washington and Kyiv on rare minerals.
"If you want to actually ensure that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine. That 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," he said.
UK and France's reactions
Vice President Vance's comments on the planned European peacekeeping forces led by the UK and France sparked outrage among politicians and veterans from both countries, who accused him of disrespecting the hundreds of soldiers who died alongside US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
James Cartlidge, a spokesperson for the UK Conservative Party on defense matters, called Vance's remarks "deeply disrespectful."
British veteran and former junior defense minister Johnny Mercer labeled the US vice president a "clown."
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated in parliament, "We respect the veterans of all the allied countries. We will make sure that our own veterans are respected."
President Emmanuel Macron's "Renaissance" party tweeted that 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."
Leader of the British right-wing populist Reform Party and close ally of former US President Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, commenting on Vance's remarks, called them "wrong, wrong, wrong."
Vance's defense
Vance has now defended himself, stating that it was absurdly dishonest to suggest he criticized British or French troops in his recent comments during an interview with Fox News. He clarified that he didn't mention the UK or France at all in the clip, emphasizing that both countries had bravely fought alongside the US for the last 20 years and beyond.
Only the UK and France have publicly stated their readiness to provide European peacekeeping forces from their military ranks for Ukraine in the event of an agreement on peace or a ceasefire with Russia.
On Tuesday, Vance explained that he was referring to other potential countries when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer referred to a coalition of the willing, which could support any post-war peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.
Additionally, Vance's spokesperson, Taylor Van Kirk, following the criticism of her boss, stated that no European country has the military resources to significantly deter Russia without American help. She added that many of these countries have bravely served in support of US and NATO missions in the past, but it would be dishonest to pretend that these contributions are anything like the mobilization needed for a hypothetical European army.
It’s worth remembering that over the past 40 years, British and French forces have fought alongside US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Issue of European troops in Ukraine
On March 2, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he was gathering a coalition of countries willing to ensure peace between Ukraine and Russia. According to him, this includes the possibility of sending soldiers to Ukraine. Countries willing to take such a step are already activating planning.
On March 3, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that the United States welcomed Europe's intention to create a coalition to help ensure peace between Ukraine and Russia. He added that it was still unclear what role the US would play in this plan.
Recently, media outlets reported that Europe is developing a plan to send soldiers to Ukraine. According to Western press sources, Ukraine's partners are ready to deploy up to 30,000 troops.
