As U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly halted all military aid to Ukraine, Vice President JD Vance once again criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky during a March 3 interview with Fox News.
Vance claimed Zelensky has demonstrated a "clear unwillingness to engage in the peace process"—a stance Trump insists aligns with the will of the American people.
During a February 28 Oval Office meeting, Zelensky, Trump, and Vance held a 45-minute press briefing that ended in a heated argument over American aid to Ukraine. The dispute led to the cancellation of a planned U.S.-Ukraine mineral agreement signing.
According to The Kyiv Independent, Trump and Vance accused Zelensky of failing to show gratitude for U.S. support and warned that his refusal to make concessions to Putin was a risky move that could escalate into World War III.
Following the meeting, Trump stated that Zelensky "is not ready for peace."
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"He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump wrote on Truth Social on February 28.
Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity, Vance reiterated that "what President Trump has said clearly and consistently is of course (that) the door is open so long as Zelensky is willing to seriously talk peace."
"You can't come into the Oval Office or anywhere else and refuse to even discuss the details of a peace deal," he said. "This is not going to make anybody happy. The Russians are going to have to give up stuff, the Ukrainians are going to have to give up stuff. You can't come to the Oval Office and say 'give us security guarantees, we won't even engage with you about what we are willing to give up.' That's been the Ukrainian posture."
Vance also criticized the Biden administration's approach to Ukraine, stating, "Hope is not a strategy. Throwing money and ammunition at a terrible conflict — that is not a strategy."
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the U.S. has provided $119.8 billion in aid to Ukraine, including $67.1 billion in military assistance, $49 billion in financial aid, and $3.6 billion in humanitarian aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Following his tense meeting with Trump, Zelensky told Fox News on that Ukraine is "ready for peace but we need to be in a good position."
"We want peace... that's why I visited President Trump," Zelensky said, adding that he hopes Trump will show stronger support for Ukraine rather than acting as a mediator in the war. Emphasizing that Russia was the aggressor, he stated, "I want really him to be more at our side."
Vance reaffirmed to Hannity that Trump will be "the first person to pick up the phone" when Zelensky is ready to negotiate peace.
"The president is actually taking a much more realistic perspective in saying this can't go on forever, we can't fund this thing forever, the Ukrainians can't fight forever — so let's bring this thing to a peaceful settlement."
