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U.S. Vice President JD Vance has claimed that European leaders present a stark contrast between their public and private stances on the Ukraine war, suggesting that while they publicly advocate for prolonged conflict, they privately acknowledge the need for peace negotiations.
Speaking to Fox News on Monday evening, Vance dismissed the public declarations of European leaders, highlighting the significant disparity between their public rhetoric and private conversations. He emphasized the urgency of pursuing peace through President Trump’s proposed approach, noting that despite European leaders’ public calls for Moscow’s complete defeat, they privately recognize the need for a swift resolution.
The Vice President emphasized the unsustainability of the current situation, pointing to limited Ukrainian resources and Western funding. “It’s useful to step back and ask ourselves, what is the actual plan here? You can’t just fund the war forever, the American people won’t stand for it… Our European friends… are doing a disservice to the Ukrainians because their own populations are saying they don’t want to fund the war indefinitely.”
Shutting down free speech will destroy our civilization.
America and Europe can take on outside threats as long as we are strong internally, and I will continue to fight for safety and security as long as I'm in office. pic.twitter.com/JtSmQiqDsJ— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) March 4, 2025
Elaborating on this duplicity, Vance explained: “You have Zelensky, he goes to Europe, and a lot of our European friends puff him up, and they say ‘You’re a freedom fighter, you need to keep fighting forever’… when you talk to leaders in private, whether they are Ukrainian or European when you talk to people in private they will tell you this cannot go on forever.”
He further revealed: “The craziest part of this… is sometimes you will have European heads of state who in public will puff up their chests and say, ‘we’re in it with President Zelensky for the next 10 years’, and then in private, they will pick up the phone and say, ‘This can’t go on forever. He has to come to the negotiating table’.”
Vance suggested that establishing strong trade relations between America and Ukraine would provide better security guarantees than European peacekeeping forces.
These revelations come as European leaders grapple with funding concerns for Ukraine’s war effort without American support. A recent London summit failed to produce concrete commitments or solutions.
While Europe’s public stance of unwavering support serves to deter Russian persistence, it risks becoming counterproductive if it prevents necessary peace negotiations from proceeding.
This disconnect between public and private positions recalls previous incidents where underlying tensions surfaced unexpectedly. Notable examples include European allies suggesting Ukraine show more gratitude for received aid.
In 2023, Britain advised Ukraine to moderate its demanding tone, with the defense minister stating: “There is a slight word of caution here, which, whether we like it or not, people want to see gratitude…if you’re persuading countries to give up their stocks”.
Trump's Promises For The State of the Union That Will Make Democrats Mad. The SOTU Will Be Lit
The Democrats Are Mad At Trump For The White House Show Down With Zelensky, But This Hidden Story Will Shock You. https://t.co/FN2DZHTDvb
— Another Trump War Room (@TrumpMagaChick) March 4, 2025
Similarly, Poland suggested that “it would be worth” Ukraine showing appreciation for Warsaw’s support, later adding: “Ukraine should start appreciating what Poland does for it”.
These suggestions met with strong reactions from President Zelensky. Ukraine deemed Poland’s comments “unacceptable” and summoned their ambassador. When Ukraine’s London ambassador agreed with British criticism of Zelensky’s “sarcasm” toward Western allies, he was promptly recalled and replaced by presidential decree.
