Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly bashed GOP vice presidential hopeful JD Vance as being “too radical” this week, ahead of a potential meeting with former President Donald Trump.
Zelensky, 46, further blasted the blueprint Vance, 40, outlined to end the war in Ukraine, characterizing it as a push for Kyiv “to give up our territories.”
“He is too radical,” Zelensky said of Trump’s running mate during a lengthy interview with The New Yorker published Sunday.
“[Vance’s] message seems to be that Ukraine must make a sacrifice. This brings us back to the question of the cost and who shoulders it. The idea that the world should end this war at Ukraine’s expense is unacceptable.”
Vance had long been a skeptic of US military assistance to the besieged ally, contending the US lacks the necessary resources to help Ukraine compete in a munitions-intensive protracted war against Russia, particularly while Israel is still battling Hamas.
Earlier this month, Vance outlined a blueprint to end the war during a radio interview — a plan that entailed the establishment of a special demilitarized zone between the two warring nations.
“It doesn’t join NATO, it doesn’t join some of these sort of allied institutions,” Vance further explained on “The Shawn Ryan Show.” “I think that’s ultimately what this looks like.”
That plan sparked outrage in Ukraine.
Trump, 78, himself, has crowed about how he would end the bloody war within 24 hours but has been very short on specifics. Trump spoke with Zelensky in July.
‘Hasn’t been like this with Trump’
“For us, these are dangerous signals, coming as they do from a potential Vice-President. I should say that it hasn’t been like this with Trump. He and I talked on the phone, and his message was as positive as it could be, from my point of view. ‘I understand,’ ‘I will lend support,’ and so on,” Zelensky told the outlet.
“I don’t take Vance’s words seriously,” he added.
Zelensky argued that if Vance’s policy were to go into effect, “then America is headed for global conflict,” because it would send a message to adversarial nations an “implicit rule: I came, I conquered, now this is mine.”
The Ukrainian president further invoked the lessons of World War II and the history of appeasement on the world’s stage.
Earlier this month, Trump sidestepped a question during his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris about whether or not he wants Ukraine to prevail in the deadly war against Russian invaders.
“Trump makes political statements in his election campaign. He says he wants the war to stop. Well, we do, too,” Zelensky reflected, shrugging off Trump’s remarks.
Zelensky is slated to meet with President Biden this week at the White House as he travels to the US to address the United Nations General Assembly during its 79th session in midtown Manhattan.
He toured an ammunition manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
During his visit to the US, which marks his fifth such trip since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky “plans to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, representatives of the U.S. Congress from both parties, and the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump,” according to his office.
It is unclear when a potential meeting with Trump will take place. The Post has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
“I think Ukraine has demonstrated the wisdom of not becoming captured by American domestic politics. We have always tried to avoid influencing the choices of the American people—that would simply be wrong,” Zelesnky said.
Plan for Victory
Underpinning Zelensky’s discussions with Biden in particular will be an unveiling of a so-called plan for victory.
Ukraine’s delegation has been working to counter China’s peace plan to contain the battlefield and bring about dialogue between the two warring countries.
Instead, Zelensky wants a total victory that would usher in a return to its 1991 borders, which would mean getting Russian-annexed Crimea back in its hands as well as regaining control of the Donbas region.
“Victory is about justice,” Zelensky stressed to the New Yorker. “[Russian leader Vladimir] Putin has zero desire to end the war on any reasonable terms at all.”
“The victory plan is a plan that swiftly strengthens Ukraine. A strong Ukraine will force Putin to the negotiating table. I’m convinced of that.”
Zelensky was tight-lipped about potential strategies in his plan for victory, but sent strong signals that it would involve significant support from Ukraine’s allies — concerning weaponry and the economy.
He also sought to entice the US to loosen restrictions on long-range weapons. That comes weeks after Ukraine embarked on its stunning incursion into Kursk, a city in western Russia that seemingly caught Moscow by surprise.
“It was clear to us that Russia is pressing us in the east,” Zelensky explained about the military operation. “It has already shown some results. It has slowed down the Russians and forced them to move some of their forces to Kursk.”
