U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on Wednesday escalated criticism of the U.S. administration’s approach to Ukraine and warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky against making negative remarks about President Donald Trump.
Vance made these comments in an interview with Daily Mail on Wednesday, Ukrinform reports.
“The idea that Zelensky is going to change the president’s mind by badmouthing him in public media […] everyone who knows the president will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with this administration,” Vance said.
Vance said Zelensky had been getting “bad advice” on how to deal with the new administration and for the past three years had been told he could do nothing wrong.
“We obviously love the Ukrainian people. We admire the bravery of the soldiers, but we obviously think that this war needs to come to a rapid close,” he said.
Vance also rejected the notion that Trump’s policies were influenced by Russian disinformation.
“Donald Trump, I think, knows a lot about geopolitics and has a very strong view, and has had a strong view for a very long time,” he said.
Trump recently called for elections to be held in Ukraine. He also claimed that Zelensky’s approval rating in Ukraine had dropped to 4% and that the country “has been blown to smithereens,” with most cities outside Kyiv left in ruins.
In response, President Zelensky refuted Trump’s claims, calling the figures part of Russian disinformation. He also stated that total wartime military expenditures have reached $320 billion, with $200 billion coming from international partners (the U.S. and EU). According to Zelensky, the U.S. has allocated $67 billion in military aid and an additional $31.5 billion in direct budgetary support.
Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call
Source: U.S. vice president warns Zelensky against criticizing Trump
