Posted on 03/04/2025 1:44:35 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
Donald Trump's Vice President faced anger today after brutally dismissing Sir Keir Starmer's 'coalition of the willing' to secure Ukraine.
JD Vance jibed that the offer of a force with UK and French boots on the ground amounted to '20,000 troops from some random country that hasn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years'.
He told Fox News that a minerals deal giving the US an economic stake in the country would offer more effective protection from Russia.
MPs demanded an apology, accusing Mr Vance of 'erasing from history' the hundreds of UK troops who fought and died alongside American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The vice-president himself served a tour in Iraq in an embedded communications role.
Tory frontbencher James Cartlidge pointed out Nato's collective defence provision had been invoked only once, by the US after September 11 attacks. He said Britons deployed with American forces including 'my own brother and numerous parliamentary colleagues, past and present'. 'It's deeply disrespectful to ignore such service and sacrifice,' he added.
The intervention came after Mr Trump inflicted another hammer blow on decades of Western alliances by pulling all military aid to Ukraine.
The White House has paused delivery of ammunition and other equipment to Kyiv after announcing overnight it was 'reviewing' assistance to 'ensure that it is contributing to a solution'.
The move appears to be part of a power play to heap pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky to make concessions in negotiations with Russia.
Meanwhile, there are claims that US officials have been drawing up plans to ease sanctions on Vladimir Putin.
A Government spokeswoman said the Government is 'absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace' after the extraordinary decision by the US president.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
He’s not wrong.
As far as I know, he did do a decent job in Afghanistan.
How many British men want to go fight in a foreign country when their own country is being destroyed?
If you stretch just a little bit you’ve got the Falklands. That WAS a proper war, fought alone.
Starmer come across to me as a man that could be as evil as Hitler.
Vance is still acting like a Senator. Trying build his political career on foreign policy because it the classical path of least resistance. Except now he is VP and Newton’s Third Law will apply.
True or not, Vance should not be saying this as VP.
“Vance is still acting like a Senator.”
True.
But, there exists an important learning curve to acquire new skills.
I think Trump is looking for a way out of NATO.
We may not want the British force there, but JD should not have incorrectly said they haven’t fought a war, and he shouldn’t have dismissed the willingness to submit a peacekeeping force.
These statements are only going to make it harder for European conservatives to be elected.
JD has a bit of isolationist chip on his shoulder and he needs to stop shooting off his mouth at allies.
“True or not, Vance should not be saying this as VP.”
Total agreement
Perhaps that is the proper approach at this time?
He is wrong. We dragged them into the BS Iraq war, even as they tried to talk Bush out of it. 46,000 UK troops deployed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_involvement_in_the_Iraq_War
Russia has already stated the NATO troops as peace keepers in Ukraine is a non starter. Don’t blame them.
No reason for Vance to apologize. The proposed deal itself says they can’t do the job without US backing them up. The MPs apparently don’t like the truth and are the same ones that have dissed Trump and the US in the past
43 years ago. They were involved in Afghanistan and Iraq but they were in a supporting role.
Well, Ukraines parliament voted overwhelmingly to support Trumps plan and even praised him.
So little Zelvis is done.
The UK can't send out an aircraft carrier task force without Americans backing them up.
So they wouldn't be able to pull off the Falklands today.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.