JD Vance Says U.S. Troops Fighting Russia In Ukraine Is ‘On The Table’ In Stunning Reversal
AP Photo/Matt York
Vice President JD Vance told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that the U.S. sending troops to fight Russia in Ukraine remained on “the table” – the latest stunning statement from inside the Trump administration on their strategy to end the war this week.
The Journal reported, “Vance said the option of sending U.S. troops to Ukraine if Moscow failed to negotiate in good faith remained ‘on the table,’ striking a far tougher tone than did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who on Wednesday suggested the U.S. wouldn’t commit forces.”
Hegseth, the former Fox News morning show host, walked back comments he made during the NATO summit earlier in the week. On Thursday, he clarified that Ukraine joining NATO was still a possibility as part of peace negotiations — just a day after suggesting it was unlikely and argued that Europe should instead guarantee Ukraine’s security by building up its military capabilities. Hegseth also raised eyebrows across the globe by saying Ukraine returning to its pre-2014 borders was an “unrealistic” goal, effectively conceding territory to the invading Russians.
Senate Armed Services Chair Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) sharply criticized Hegseth’s “rookie mistake” in making pre-negotiation concessions to Russia. Wicker, who shepherded Hegseth’s confirmation through his committee, told Politico that Hegseth’s comments sounded like “the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written.”
Vance clearly sought to shore up the U.S. position and countered Hegseth’s comments. “There are economic tools of leverage, there are of course military tools of leverage. There’s a whole host of things that we could do. But fundamentally, I think the president wants to have a productive negotiation, both with Putin and with Zelensky,” Vance said, referring to the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
“I think there is a deal that is going to come out of this that’s going to shock a lot of people,” Vance told the Journal following Trump revealing he spoke with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky this week.
Vance taking a harder line against Russia is notable given his long history of criticizing U.S. support for the war in Ukraine. In January 2024, Vance posted to X, “I am perhaps the senate’s most vocal critic of additional Ukraine aid, but the border is the one issue I care about more.” He argued in his post that ending U.S. aid to Ukraine was at the top of his legislative agenda in the Senate and the only issue he “cared about more” is securing the southern border.
Vance famously said in 2022 while speaking with Steve Bannon, he didn’t “really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.” Vance later walked the comment back, saying “We want the Ukrainians to be successful” against Putin.
President Donald Trump too has grabbed headlines with his mixed comments on the war in Ukraine in recent days. Trump told Fox News, “They (Ukraine) may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday.”
Trump, however, also promised to keep sending U.S. military aid to Ukraine indefinitely while taking questions in the Oval Office on Wednesday. Trump also agreed with Hegseth’s comments regarding Ukraine likely not joining NATO and blamed the Russian invasion on President Joe Biden suggesting Ukraine may one day do so – despite Putin explicitly declaring at the onset of the war he wants to rebuild the Russian empire.
Read the full Wall Street Journal report here.
