JD Vance's 'disrespectful' comments 'about UK troops' spark international controversy
Topics: Donald Trump, UK News, US News, Politics, Ukraine
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, UK News, US News, Politics, Ukraine
US Vice President JD Vance has faced condemnation on social media for comments he made regarding the support needed by Ukraine.
The war of words between Ukraine and America continues, and Vice President JD Vance has found himself embroiled in a new controversy.
Vance was accused of disrespecting France and/or the UK for his comments and now faces a heated backlash.
While speaking on Fox News on March 4, Vance said: “The president knows that if you want real US security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine.
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“That is a way better security guarantee from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
At this point, the UK and France are the only two countries that have pledged troops to a potential peacekeeping force.
As you can imagine, the vice president is now facing condemnation from British veterans as well as people who have taken issue with his comments.
One Twitter user commented: “JD Vance's claim that the UK hasn't fought a war in 30-40 years insults the 600+ British troops who died in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside Americans.
“Disrespectful to their sacrifice and our alliance, time for an apology, not ignorance.”
Another highlighted NATO nations contributions to America over the years and said: “VP Vance forgot that between 2001 and 2021, hundreds of soldiers from countries the U.S. came to help after 9/11 have died in Afghanistan.
“457 from the U.K., 89 from France, 25 from the Netherlands. It is truly sickening to see how these sacrifices have already been forgotten.”
A third added: “To denigrate France and UK as some “random country” is an outrageous insult to allies with a great history of nations which supported the U.S. in the Iraq wars and wars after 9/11. An insult that demands an apology.”
However, Vance has since dismissed the notion that he was speaking about British or French troops in his own post on the social media platform.
He said: “This is absurdly dishonest.
“I don’t even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond.”
He added: “But let’s be direct: there are many countries who are volunteering (privately or publicly) support who have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful.”
UNILAD has contacted the office of JD Vance for comment.