Vance Visits Capitol Hill, Provides Key Update on Ukraine
Vice President JD Vance appeared on Capitol Hill Monday, where he shared an important update regarding ongoing negotiations with Ukraine.
Vance’s visit wasn’t originally focused on Ukraine. He came to Capitol Hill to show his backing for his “friend,” Elbridge Colby — former President Donald Trump’s pick for the role of undersecretary of defense for policy, which is the third-highest position at the Pentagon.
However, the conversation shifted when a reporter brought up Ukraine. Both Trump and Vance had confronted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly during a tense Oval Office discussion the previous Friday. By Monday, Trump had taken the criticism even further, blasting Zelenskyy for declaring that peace with Russia was “very far away.” Trump warned the Ukrainian president that the United States would “not put up with it for much longer.”
During a press scrum, CNN’s Manu Raju asked Vance directly: “If Zelenskyy changes his posture, his focus, would there be a consideration of bringing the aid back on? Or is that an indefinite pause, a long-term pause, do you see it?”
Vance responded: “No, look it, the president has been very clear he wants the Ukrainians to come to the negotiating table. I think when the Ukrainians come to the negotiating table, everything is on the table.”
Raju followed up, asking: “What do you need to see from President Zelenskyy?”
Vance elaborated: “Look, I think the most important thing, a lot of people have made this about public statements, President Zelenskyy needs to say that he is committed to the peace or President Zelenskyy needs to apologize to the president. The public stuff doesn’t matter nearly as much as what are the Ukrainians doing to meaningfully engage on what a peaceful settlement would look like. We need to Ukrainians privately to come to us and say, ‘This is what we need, this is what we want. This is how we’ll participate in the process to end this conflict. That is the most important thing, and that lack of private engagement is what is most concerning to us.”
A different reporter raised a question about a potential minerals agreement between the United States and Ukraine, asking: “Do you still have hope for the mineral deal? Do you believe that the mineral deal can be reached with Ukraine?”
Vance responded: “Yeah, I certainly do. And I think the president is still committed to the mineral deal. I think we’ve heard some positive things, but not yet, of course, the signature from our friends in Ukraine. But, look, the mineral deal is a really important part of the president’s policy. Number one, the American people have got to get some payback for the incredible financial investment we’ve made in this country.”
He continued: “A lot of the aid that the Europeans have sent has come in the form of money that is getting repaid to them. Well, it’s really ridiculous and, frankly, an insult to the American people that the Europeans are getting a better deal than the American people. The president is just trying to ensure that the American people get a fair deal, while simultaneously incurring we have access to some minerals and resources that are very important for the economy of the future.”
Just days after the heated Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump officially halted all U.S. military aid to Ukraine on Monday.
According to Bloomberg News, which cited a senior Defense Department official, the assistance freeze will remain in place until Trump is convinced that Ukraine’s leadership is demonstrating a sincere commitment to pursuing peace.
The source explained the freeze covers “all US military equipment not currently in Ukraine,” including “weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit areas in Poland.”
A senior Trump administration official also clarified to Fox News that this isn’t a permanent end to assistance. Instead, the move represents “a pause,” with orders to enforce it being issued immediately.
This decision comes directly on the heels of the Oval Office clash between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy.
On Monday, Trump renewed his criticism of Zelenskyy over his statement that peace was “very far away,” reiterating that the U.S. would “not put up with it for much longer.”
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump exclaimed. “It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelensky, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”
Trump even floated the idea that removing Zelenskyy from power might be a possibility, adding: “I think everybody has to get into a room, so to speak, and we have to make a deal, and the deal can be made very fast. If somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long. That person will not be listened to very long.”