J. D. Vance: The American Vice President is an accelerant

Neue Zürcher Zeitung Germany J. D. Vance: The American Vice President is an accelerant Christian Weisflog, Washington • 7 hours • 4 minutes reading time With J. D. Vance, Trump has a Vice President at his side who cares little about Ukraine. Stephen Maturen Even in his first term in office, Donald Trump's sympathies for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin were a mystery. In Washington and even in his own government, he was pretty much alone in his admiration for the Kremlin chief. Many politicians in his Republican Party openly criticized him for it. How much this has changed in Trump's second term in office was revealed on Friday in the Oval Office. It was the American Vice President J. D. Vance who made the first attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky. And some observers in Washington are now wondering whether he did this consciously. To say it up front: Volodymyr Zelensky also played an unfortunate role during his visit to the White House. He recently accused Donald Trump of living in a Russian "bubble of misinformation". Now, in front of the cameras, he clearly resolved to correct all the untruths that Trump was constantly uttering. When Zelensky did not speak himself, he shook his head or made a sullen face. Unthinkable with Pence The main reason for the Ukrainian president's visit was actually the signing of the raw materials agreement with the USA. Trump had described this as a "very big deal". But Zelensky repeatedly pointed out that this agreement could only be a first step. American security guarantees or at least American "reinsurance" for European peacekeepers were needed so that Putin did not attack again. Trump did not seem to be fazed by this at first. After a reporter reproachfully asked the Ukrainian president why he was not wearing a suit, Trump defended his guest. He said to Zelensky: "I like your clothes." It was only when Vice President Vance joined the discussion that the situation escalated into a nasty war of words. Vance praised Trump's diplomatic strategy. But Zelensky pointed out to the Vice President that diplomatic negotiations without pressure on Putin will not bring real peace. Vance then dismissed Zelensky as disrespectful and ungrateful. He also accused him of taking his visitors in Kyiv on "propaganda tours" to convince them of the Ukrainian view of the war. It was only when Zelensky complained about the loud tone of the American Vice President that Trump also lost his temper: "Either you make an agreement or we're out." Zelensky and Trump engage in a nasty war of words in the Oval Office. A similar dynamic would hardly have been conceivable during Trump's first term in office. His then vice president, Mike Pence, broke with Trump in 2021 after the storming of the Capitol. When the American president recently blamed Ukraine for starting the war, Pence wrote on X: "We must continue to stand by the truth behind this conflict and be an ally of Ukraine." Vance, on the other hand, declared after the Russian invasion in 2022: "I don't really care what happens to Ukraine." Vance, meanwhile, is not only Trump's vice president, but also a friend of Trump's eldest son, Donald Jr. Behind the scenes and as a podcaster, "Don Jr." has gained a lot of influence in recent years. He is also one of Zelensky's harshest critics in his father's circle. On Friday, he made fun of the Ukrainian president with a meme on X. In another post, he wrote: "America has had enough of being exploited." Loyalty instead of resignations Zelensky's influential critics in the White House also include the tech billionaire and Trump adviser Elon Musk. After the scandal, he wrote in his short message service: "Zelensky destroyed himself before the eyes of the American people." What is worrying for Ukraine is that even potential advocates in the American government showed no understanding for Zelensky. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio demanded an apology from the Ukrainian president and thanked Trump for having "the courage to defend America like no other president before him." The former senator was actually considered a foreign policy hawk. He had said in previous interviews that he wanted a strong negotiating position for Ukraine. Mike Waltz, Trump's national security advisor, had also previously considered him an ally. But he too now criticized Zelensky. The Ukrainian president did not understand that with Trump there was now "a new sheriff in town," Waltz said in an interview.