Ukraine concerned over Trump's pick of J.D. Vance as VP nominee
Trump’s vice president pick Vance is skeptical about U.S. support for Ukraine, wants NATO members to pay more in aid, and advocates concessions to Russia.
Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump’s announcement Monday of JD Vance as his running mate sent ripples through the international community and Vance wasted little time in letting the party in on his worldview.
“Together, we will make sure our allies share in the burden of securing world peace. No more free rides for nations that betray the generosity of the American taxpayer,” Republican Vice Presidential pick Vance said as he addressed the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night.
If the Republican ticket wins the presidential election in November, the consequences of Vance’s presence as the vice president will be felt in few places more than in Ukraine, as he has repeatedly criticized U.S. support for its war against Russia. His words will likely do little to reassure America’s friends about what a second Trump administration would mean for the 2½-year-old war in Ukraine.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his senior ministers or generals have not commented on Vance's nomination, foreign policy experts and Ukrainians are not optimistic about its implications for Kyiv's defense against Russia's occupation of swaths of eastern Ukraine.
“Ukrainians are in a terrible position,” said Rajan Menon, a defense expert and professor emeritus at the City College of New York. “The U.S. has been the principal supplier by a long shot compared to the Europeans. If it steps away, Ukrainians will lack not only the critical air defense to protect their cities but also artillery.”
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