'Absurd': JD Vance Clarifies Position on Russia, Zelensky

 Published: April 15, 2025

 Trump, Vance, and Zelensky Engage in Heated Debate Over Russia Peace Deal

 Vice President [JD Vance][24] stated that in order to stop the war, the United States must comprehend both Russia's and Ukraine's strategic red lines. He also criticized Ukrainian President [Volodymyr Zelensky][25]'s "absurd" claim that Washington is siding with Moscow.

 Zelensky told [CBS][26]' 60 Minutes show that he feels "Russian narratives are prevailing in the U.S." and that he took Vance to be "somehow justifying Putin's actions" by portraying Ukraine as an aggressor as well.

 ## Why Is It Important?

 As the Trump administration attempts to mediate an end to Russia's war, tensions between Washington and Kyiv remain high.

 Some in Washington regard Zelensky as a threat to peace and want him removed, but Ukraine's European allies are concerned that US President [Donald Trump][27] will make too many concessions to Russian President [Vladimir Putin][28] in order to get a swift deal.

 ## What To Know

 Vance stated in an interview with the British media website UnHerd released on Tuesday morning that he has denounced Russia for their full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.

 "I've also tried to apply strategic recognition that if you want to end the conflict, you have to try to understand where both the Russians and the Ukrainians see their strategic objectives," Vance was quoted as saying.

 "That doesn't mean you morally support the Russian cause, or that you support the full-scale invasion, but you do have to try to understand what are their strategic red lines, in the same way that you have to try to understand what the Ukrainians are trying to get out of the conflict."

 On April 14, 2025, U.S. Vice President JD Vance talks as U.S. President Donald Trump, left, meets with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House. .. More Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images.

 He said further: "I think it's sort of absurd for Zelensky to tell the \[American\] government, which is currently keeping his entire government and war effort together, that we are somehow on the side of the Russians."

 Vance claimed that Zelensky's rhetoric "is certainly not productive."

 Newsweek reached out to Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Ministry's press office via email for comment.

 In February, Vance and Trump had a stunning public clash with Zelensky in the Oval Office. The vice president accused Ukraine's leader of disrespecting the president and being insufficiently grateful to the United States for its assistance. Trump accused Zelensky of gambling on World War III.

 Relations have improved since then, although tensions still exist. Trump wants Russia's war on Ukraine to end quickly, claiming that he can no longer stomach the number of the casualties and the expense to US taxpayers of backing Kyiv's defense through military aid.

 Ukraine and its European allies are concerned that Trump will make too many concessions to Putin in order to end the war as quickly as possible, rather than putting maximum pressure on Russia, the instigator and aggressor. Trump stated that in order to resolve a problem, both sides must liste

 On Monday, President Donald Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that if he had won the 2020 election, the war would not have begun, blaming his predecessor [Joe Biden][35] and Zelensky for "an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to begin."

 "There were numerous methods to keep it from ever happening. But that's in the past. Now we need to get it to stop, and quickly. "SO SAD!" Donald Trump wrote.

 President Volodymyr Zelensky's 60 Minutes interview aired on CBS the day before Trump's tweet. "I believe, sadly, that Russian narratives are prevailing in the United States," Zelensky stated in Ukrainian.

 "How is it possible to witness our losses and suffering, understand what the Russians are doing, and still believe that they are not the aggressors, that they did not initiate this war?"

 "This speaks to the enormous influence of Russia's information policy on America, on U.S. politics, and U.S. politicians."

 Zelensky recalled the historic Oval Office clash and stated, "First and foremost, we did not launch an attack \[to start the war\]."

 "It appears that the vice president is somehow rationalizing Putin's behavior. I tried to explain that you cannot look for something in the middle. There's an attacker and a victim. "The Russians are the aggressors, and we are the victims."

 Negotiations between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire—two partial truces on energy infrastructure and in the Black Sea have already been agreed upon—are ongoing.

 However, Russian attacks on Ukraine [such as Sumy and Kryvyi Rih][36], which have killed scores of people, threaten to disrupt the process. The increasing tensions between Kyiv and Washington complicate already tense negotiations.

JD Vance: Hillbilly Elegy

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