JD Vance reveals what would make Trump admin 'walk away' from Russia-Ukraine war negotiations
Vice President JD Vance describes the Trump administration's Russia-Ukraine war strategy and addresses the economic impact of tariffs on 'The Story.'
Vice President JD Vance fired back at Joe Biden's new criticism of the infamous Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dismissing the former commander-in-chief's foreign policy as a "total disaster."
"I think it's rich for Joe Biden to comment on anything that we’re doing when it comes to Russia and Ukraine," Vance on Thursday told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum on "The Story." "Under Biden’s administration, Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine… I wish Joe Biden the best. I don't really care what he has to say about American foreign policy because so much of what he actually did was a total disaster."
In an interview with the BBC earlier this week — his first since leaving office in January — Biden called the President Donald Trump-Vance meeting with Zelenskyy "beneath America."
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In addition to addressing Biden's criticism, Vance reaffirmed the Trump administration's support for Ukrainian sovereignty but stood by earlier comments suggesting the U.S. may scale back its role as lead negotiator in peace talks.
"We obviously want Ukraine to remain a sovereign country," he said. "We knew that the Russians' first offer would be too much. We knew that they would ask for more than was reasonable to give. That's how negotiations often work. I'm not bothered by that."
"What would bother me is if we conclude that the Russians are not engaging in the negotiation in good faith. And if that happens, yeah, we're [going to] walk away," said Vance.
Despite a recent rejection of a ceasefire proposal by Russia, Vance struck a cautiously optimistic tone about the direction of peace talks.
"I actually think it’s progress that they’re even talking," he said. "We’re putting concrete peace plans on the table."
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Vance also addressed developments in global trade, touting the administration’s first formal tariff agreement reached with the U.K. Earlier this year, the Trump administration imposed a 10% reciprocal tariff on U.K. imports, and additional tariffs on global products like steel and vehicles.
President Donald Trump, seated, is joined by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, left, and Vice President JD Vance as he speaks with reporters after announcing a trade deal with the U.K. in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
"Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honor to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow!"
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Vance said the U.K. was chosen first because of its openness and strong relationship with the current administration. As for China, which retaliated with steep tariffs of its own, Vance acknowledged the difficulty of rebalancing global trade but said the administration remains committed.
"We’re [going to] have a conversation with them. We’ll see where it leads," he said. "We just [want a] deal with any country, whether it's China or anybody else that makes American workers and American businesses in a better position," Vance continued, saying he felt that goal was "very achievable."
Turning to domestic issues, Vance discussed ongoing efforts under DOGE, even as its leader, Elon Musk, steps back from day-to-day involvement.
"Elon’s not disappearing," Vance said. "Nobody said that the work of DOGE would only last 110 days and that would be it… We think there’s a lot more waste and fraud that we can find."
DOGE leader Elon Musk has been hit with 96% negative coverage on ABC, NBC and CBS evening newscasts, according to the Media Research Center.? (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
He confirmed that Attorney General Pam Bondi is preparing investigations into potential large-scale fraud and that lawsuits could follow.
"I know that she's working on building the case against some of these people who have committed absolute fraud on the American people. You're [going to] see some of those prosecutions over the next few years," he said.
When asked about rumored tension between himself and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both of whom have been floated as potential Trump successors, Vance dismissed the idea.
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"Marco's actually my, probably my best friend in the administration," he said. "We hang out and talk all the time. He's doing a really good job. And, of course, I'm doing the best job that I can."
Still, Vance didn’t rule out a run for the presidency in 2028.
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"I can see myself doing a really good job for the next 1,100 days, and then the American people can figure it out from there," he said.
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