Highlights:
Vance Said, “I Gotta Be Honest With You, I Don’t Really Care What Happens To Ukraine.” According to The Hill, “Years before that vote, during a podcast interview in 2022, Vance said, ‘I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other,’ remarks that are still reverberating in GOP circles today.” [The Hill, 7/26/24]
Vance Called Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine “A Distraction.” According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “Historic crisis in our country, and our leaders can talk of nothing but Russia and Ukraine. Perhaps they know that they benefit from the distraction.” [Twitter, @JDVance, 3/15/22]
Vance Claimed, “I Never Said I Don’t Care About The People Of Ukraine. I Said The Matter Of What Happens In Ukraine Is Not In Our Vital National Interest.” According to Fox 8, “Vance responded, ‘I never said I don’t care about the people of Ukraine. I said the matter of what happens in Ukraine is not in our vital national interest. It’s statesmanship to separate your emotions… from what we should do as public policy.”’ [Fox 8, 3/21/22]
February 2024: Vance Skipped A Bipartisan Meeting With Ukrainian President Zelensky. According to CNN, “At the Munich Security Conference in February, Vance suggested Ukraine should negotiate with Russia because the US and other allies do not have the capacity to support it. Ukraine and NATO have dismissed that scenario, because it would most likely mean Kyiv would have to give up some of its pre-war territory. […] In Munich, Vance notably skipped a key meeting between a bipartisan delegation of US senators and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he didn’t think he’d learn anything new there.” [CNN, 7/16/24]
December 2023: Vance Left A Bipartisan Meeting With President Zelensky. According to CNN, “Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio – an outspoken critic of sending additional funding to Ukraine – left the meeting between Zelensky and other senators early. He said Zelensky provided senators with an ‘update on strategic milestones’ and began taking questions, but the Ohio Republican said his mind remained unchanged about the idea of sending more aid.” [CNN, 12/12/23]
April 2024: Vance Said That Zelensky’s Goal Of Returning To Its 1991 Boundaries Was “Fantastical.” According to Vance’s op-ed in the New York Times, “By committing to a defensive strategy, Ukraine can preserve its precious military manpower, stop the bleeding and provide time for negotiations to commence. But this would require both American and Ukrainian leadership to accept that Mr. Zelensky’s stated goals for the war — a return to 1991 boundaries — are fantastical.” [Vance Op-Ed via the New York Times, 4/12/24]
February 2024: Vance Encouraged A Negotiated Settlement Between Ukraine And Russia Where “Hopefully” Ukraine “Gets To Keep Its Country.” According to Politico, “Other lawmakers, like Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), suggested a negotiated settlement is the most likely outcome regardless of whether the U.S. sends more aid to Ukraine, which he's opposed. ‘Washington always seems to be a few months behind the reality on the ground,’ Vance told POLITICO. ‘[I think there's a] stalemate probably indefinitely and hopefully that leads to some sort of settlement where Ukraine gets to keep its country and the killing stops.’” [Politico, 2/27/24]
May 2024: Vance Claimed That There Was No Way To Get Russia Out Of Ukraine. According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “I am told consistently that ‘no one’ believes we can eject Russia from all Ukrainian territory. And yet here is a respected analyst saying just that. The Biden administration has no strategy and this war has no end insight. Stop the killing!” [Twitter, @JDVance, 5/22/24]
Vance Said That Trump’s Plan To End The War In Ukraine Could Include A Demilitarized Zone. According to the Washington Post, “Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) recently laid out a potential Trump administration’s approach to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying former president Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict could include establishing a ‘demilitarized zone’ in Ukrainian territory now occupied by Russia. The approach would mark a dramatic change from the Biden administration’s policy — which is focused on providing military and other assistance, along with Europe and other allies — to help Ukraine repel and reverse Russian aggression. ‘I think what this looks like is Trump sits down, he says to the Russians, the Ukrainians, the Europeans: You guys need to figure out. What does a peaceful settlement look like? And what it probably looks like is the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine, that becomes like a demilitarized zone,’ Vance said Wednesday on ‘The Shawn Ryan Show.’ The proposed demilitarized zone, Vance added, would be ‘heavily fortified so the Russians don’t invade again.’ As part of the peace plan, Vance said, Ukraine would maintain its independence in exchange for a guarantee of neutrality — meaning Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO or other ‘allied institutions.’” [Washington Post, 9/12/24]
July 2024: Russia’s Foreign Minister Praised Vance’s Stance On Ukraine. According to CNN, “On Wednesday, Russia welcomed Vance’s stance on Ukraine. ‘He (Vance) stands for peace, for cessation of aid. We can only welcome this because, in fact, it is necessary to stop pumping Ukraine with weapons, and the war will end,’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference at the United Nations. Lavrov added that Russia ‘will be ready to work with any American leader elected by the American people’ as long as this leader ‘is ready for an equitable, mutually respectful dialogue.’ [CNN, 7/16/24]
June 2024: When Asked About Vance’s Solutions For Ukraine, He Called For A Territorial Freeze And Ukrainian Neutrality. According to the New York Times, “HOST: Is there a more minimalist J.D. Vance plan that would involve limited defensive support for Ukraine as part of a path to armistice? VANCE: What I would like to do, and what I think fundamentally is achievable here with American leadership — but you never know till you have the conversation — is you freeze the territorial lines somewhere close to where they are right now. That’s No. 1. No. 2 is you guarantee both Kyiv’s independence but also its neutrality. It’s the fundamental thing the Russians have asked from the beginning. I’m not naïve here. I think the Russians have asked for a lot of things dishonestly, but neutrality is clearly something that they see as existential for them. And then three, there’s going to have to be some American security assistance over the long term. I think those three things are certainly achievable, yes.” [New York Times, 6/13/24]
Vance Said That Trump’s Plan To End The War In Ukraine Could Prevent Ukraine From Joining NATO. According to the Washington Post, “Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) recently laid out a potential Trump administration’s approach to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying former president Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict could include establishing a ‘demilitarized zone’ in Ukrainian territory now occupied by Russia. The approach would mark a dramatic change from the Biden administration’s policy — which is focused on providing military and other assistance, along with Europe and other allies — to help Ukraine repel and reverse Russian aggression. ‘I think what this looks like is Trump sits down, he says to the Russians, the Ukrainians, the Europeans: You guys need to figure out. What does a peaceful settlement look like? And what it probably looks like is the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine, that becomes like a demilitarized zone,’ Vance said Wednesday on ‘The Shawn Ryan Show.’ The proposed demilitarized zone, Vance added, would be ‘heavily fortified so the Russians don’t invade again.’ As part of the peace plan, Vance said, Ukraine would maintain its independence in exchange for a guarantee of neutrality — meaning Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO or other ‘allied institutions.’” [Washington Post, 9/12/24]
April 2024: Vance Called The Addition Of Ukraine To NATO “Completely Irresponsible.” According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “This is completely irresponsible. Ukraine should not join NATO, and to invite them during a war is to invite our nation into war. Do you want American ground troops in Ukraine? If not, we must push back against the idea that Ukraine should join NATO.” [Twitter, @JDVance, 4/4/24]
VIDEO: April 2023: Vance Said Ukraine Joining NATO Was Not In The United States’ Interests. According to Fox News via YouTube, “VANCE: And I just ask my fellow Americans in Ohio and across the country, would you feel safer at night? Would you sleep more soundly at night knowing that Volodymyr Zelensky has has guaranteed to defend the borders of the United States of America when Joe Biden refuses to do that himself? Of course you wouldn't. NATO's obsession for Ukraine is maybe in Ukraine's best interests. It's maybe in Germany's best interests. It is not in the best interests of this country. And anybody telling you otherwise is not telling the truth.” [Fox News via YouTube, 4/25/23]
July 2023: Vance Voted To Limit Funding For Ukraine Until All NATO Countries Spend 2% Or More Of GDP On Defense. In July 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted for “amendment no. 376 that would prohibit more than 2 percent of the funds made available for the Defense Department for the support of Ukraine from being obligated or expended until all NATO countries that do not spend 2 percent or more of their gross domestic product on defense meet or exceed such threshold.” The vote was on the amendment. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 13 to 71. [Senate Vote 195, 7/20/23; Congressional Quarterly, 7/20/23; Congressional Actions, S.2226]
December 2023: Vance Effectively Voted Against An FY 2024 Emergency War Spending Package That Included Aid For Ukraine. In December 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted against the “motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the Schumer motion to proceed to the bill.” The vote was on cloture. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote of 49 to 51. [Senate Vote 332, 12/6/23; Congressional Quarterly, 12/6/23; Congressional Actions, H.R. 815]
December 2023: Vance Voted Against The FY 2024 NDAA. In December 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Vance voted against the “adoption of the conference report to accompany the fiscal 2024 defense authorization bill that would that would authorize […] $300 million in security assistance to Ukraine.” The vote was on adoption of the conference report. The Senate agreed to the motion by a vote of 87 to 13. [Senate Vote 343, 12/13/23; Congressional Quarterly, 12/13/23; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2670]
April 2024: Vance Voted Against Ukraine Aid. According to Newsweek, “Fifteen Republican senators voted against a $95 billion foreign aid package to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan that was passed on Tuesday. […] The Republicans who voted against the bill were: […] J.D. Vance (OH).” [Newsweek, 4/24/24]
March 2024: Vance Voted Against The State Foreign Operations Appropriations Which Included $300 Million For The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. In March 2024, Vance voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to HR 2882, that would provide $1.2 trillion in total budget authority for the Defense, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Legislative Branch, Labor-HHS-Education and State Foreign Operations spending bills. It would provide […] $58.3 billion for the State Department. It would provide $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and $500 million for Israel defense programs.” The vote was on passage. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 74 to 24, thus, it was sent to the president. President Biden signed the bill into law. [Senate Vote 114, 3/23/24; Congressional Quarterly, 3/23/24; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2882]
VIDEO: November 2023: Vance Said, "We Shouldn't Give Another Dime To The Ukrainians." According to Newsmax via YouTube, “VANCE: I happen to think we shouldn't give another dime to the Ukrainians.” [Newsmax via YouTube, 11/15/23]
February 2024: Vance Said He Was A “Hell No” On The Ukraine Funding Bill. According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “The Washington Post is reporting that this Ukraine aid package is designed to control Donald Trump and make it impossible for him to get us out of this conflict. That’s why the funding extends well into next year. I’m a hell no.” [Twitter, @JDVance, 2/9/24]
February 2024: Vance Said That He Did Not Support Sending Money To Ukraine As Part Of The Border Deal. According to Vance via his Senate Twitter, “The idea that we committed to supporting whatever came out of this negotiation is pure, unadulterated bullshit. We supported a negotiation to bring common sense border security to this country. We did not agree to a fig leaf to send another $61 billion to Ukraine.” [Twitter, @SenVancePress, 2/6/24]
February 2024: Vance Claimed That Funding For Ukraine War Would Not Make A Difference. According to the American Conservative, “’If the $61 billion of supplemental aid to Ukraine goes through, I have to be honest to you, that is not going to fundamentally change the reality on the battlefield,’ Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio said to a shocked crowd in the Munich Security Conference. ‘Munitions matter a lot in warfare, but what we haven’t talked about is manpower. And we know the Ukrainians are very limited on that. This will end in a negotiated peace. The question is when and what that looks like.’” [American Conservative, 2/18/24]
February 2024: Vance Called Voting For Ukraine Funding A “Middle Finger To Voters.” According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “Amen to that. The way this process unfolded—secret negotiation for months, weak border policy, abandonment of the border for Ukraine immediately—confirms every worst fear our voters have about Washington. A vote to fund Ukraine today is a middle finger to voters. Quote Tweet: @marcorubio How can anyone vote to help stop the invasion of another country until they first do something REAL to stop the invasion of America?” [Twitter, @JDVance, 2/8/24]
February 2024: Vance Called For A “Sanity Caucus” To Oppose The Ukraine Funding Package. According to Vance via his Senate Twitter, “WATCH: Senator @JDVance1 calls for ‘sanity caucus’ to pump brakes on standalone Ukraine aid push ‘Far too many Republican politicians are giving up on bringing common sense border security. It’s not good for the American people, and it’s certainly not what our voters want.’” [Twitter, @SenVancePress, 2/7/24]
February 2024: Vance Said That Senate Republican Leader McConnell Was A “Failure” Because He Helped Pass Aid For Ukraine. According to the New York Times, “The Ohio senator also focused during the interview on his opposition to U.S. military aid to Ukraine, an isolationist policy view he shares with Mr. Trump. He had harsh words for Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate minority leader, accusing him of caring more about the war in Ukraine than about domestic problems in his own state. ‘You need to look in the mirror and accept that your job has been a failure,’ Mr. Vance said. ‘You’ve been a failure at your job.’” [New York Times, 2/23/24]
March 2024: Vance Said It Was “Shameful” That His Colleagues Focused On Ukraine Defense. According to The Hill, “Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) on Sunday ripped into congressional colleagues, who he argued are ‘obsessed’ with funding for Ukraine, rather than the situation at the U.S. southern border. ‘Well, I think it’s so shameful … that you have all of these people whose job it is to look after American people and to lead this country, but they’re obsessed with Eastern Europe and with Ukraine,’ Vance said on Fox News’s ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’ ‘Look, we have terrible problems because of our border. We have the fentanyl problem, the sex-trafficking problem.’” [The Hill, 3/3/24]
April 2024: Vance Spoke Before The Republican Study Committee Urging House Republicans To Block All Foreign Aid Except For Aid To Israel In Order To Gain Concessions On Border Legislation. According to Politico, “Vance (R-Ohio) delivered the remarks Wednesday before the Republican Study Committee, the biggest House GOP caucus, according to three people in the room, who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about the closed-door weekly lunch. The Ohio conservative argued that apart from pushing through aid to Israel, there’s no reason to move on any of the other aid bills — which includes aid to Ukraine and Taiwan — until House Republicans secure border security victories, one of the three people said.” [Politico, 4/17/24]
April 2024: Vance Said That The House Was Giving Democrats Everything They Wanted By Combining Ukraine And Israel Aid Packages, Calling The House Republicans’ Actions “Betrayal” And “Stupid Politics.” According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “Rumored course of action in the House: Combine Ukraine and Israel aid, with other Biden boondoggles. Send it all to the Senate as a combined package. Then let the House vote on a fake border security package that has no chance. Betrayal. And stupid politics to boot. Make the Democrats vote on Israel, and piss off one of their constituencies. Make the Democrats vote for Biden's open border or not. Or fight for real border security. This is the ‘give Dems everything they want including political cover’ option. Just completely insane.” [Twitter, @JDVance, 4/17/24]
April 2024: Vance Said Speaker Johnson Would Be “Betraying” Voters If He Focused On Helping Ukraine. According to the Washington Examiner, “Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) suggested that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) needs to be careful in how he handles his leadership role going forward, as it would be ‘a disgrace’ if he chose not to help secure the southern border. The topic of securing the border while providing financial aid to Ukraine has been discussed greatly among House Republicans, with some being very vocal in their criticism of Johnson’s role as speaker. Vance himself argued that he believes Johnson is ‘a good guy,’ but that he would be betraying both Republican voters and the whole country should he ignore the border and instead focus on helping Ukraine.” [Washington Examiner, 4/7/24]
Vance Tweeted About Russian Aggression Towards Ukraine And Argued That The U.S. Should “Secure Our Own Border Before We Worry About Anyone Else’s.” According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “The way our institutions are cheering a war with Russia over Ukraine is downright creepy. From the corporate press to the professional bureaucrats of DC. No, no, no: secure our own border before we worry about anyone else’s.” [Twitter, @JDVance, 12/8/21]
Vance Issued A Statement Attacking His Republican Primary Opponents Gibbons And Timken For “Jumping On The America Last Bandwagon” And Calling Them “Cheney Republicans Masquerading As Allies Of Donald Trump” Over Their Stance On Ukraine. According to a press release from JD Vance, “the media and political elites are seething at me because I uttered aloud what everyone deep down know is true: that the Russia-Ukraine border dispute has nothing to do with our national security, no American interest is served by our intervention, and that the obsession with Ukraine from our idiot leaders serves no function except to distract us from our actual problems. Now I expect this kind of hysteria from the Democrats and the media. I was disappointed to see Jane Timken and Mike Gibbons jumping on the America last bandwagon. While each claim to be “America First,” their recent statements reveal that they are Cheney Republicans masquerading as allies of Donald Trump.” [JD Vance Press Release, 2/22/22]
Vance Wrote An Opinion Piece For The Columbus Dispatch Titled: “J.D. Vance: ‘I Will Be Damned’ If Ukraine Prioritized Over ‘Tsunami Of Illegal Migrants’” [Op-Ed by JD Vance – Columbus Dispatch, 3/31/22]
**Vance Tweeted: “What Exactly Is The Biden Administration Trying To Accomplish In Europe? And How Much ‘Sacrifice’ Are They Asking Of Us? Would Be Good For Congressional Republicans To Ask These Questions.”**According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “What exactly is the Biden administration trying to accomplish in Europe? And how much ‘sacrifice’ are they asking of us? Would be good for congressional Republicans to ask these questions. No one else is.” [Twitter, @JDVance, 3/10/22]
Vance Wrote An Op-Ed For The Federalist Titled: “Why Does Ukraine’s Crisis Get More Attention From U.S. Elites Than Their Own Nation’s Border?” [Op-Ed by JD Vance – Federalist, 3/23/22]
Vance Quote-Tweeted A Marjorie Taylor Greene Post Highlighting The Energy Deal Between Russia And China With The Caption: “This. Potential War With Russia Isn’t About Democracy Or Human Rights. It’s About Idiotic Energy Policy And The Defense Contractors.” JD Vance tweeted, “This. Potential war with Russia isn’t about democracy or human rights. It’s about idiotic energy policy and the defense contractors.” [Twitter, @JDVance, 2/7/22]
PolitiFact Rated Vance’s Claim That Joe Biden Was Risking War With Russia Because Putin Does Not “Believe In Transgender Rights” As “Pants On Fire.” According to Politifact, “Vance said that Biden risks war with Russia because Putin doesn’t ‘believe in transgender rights.’ There is a risk of war, but it is due to Russia’s focus on Ukraine’s ties to the west and the buildup of Russian forces along Ukraine’s border. The State Department noted the threats against transgender people as one issue among many in a report on human rights. It gave much more space to the danger posed by Russia’s military policies in its most recent annual threat assessment. The risk of war in Ukraine is not affected by Putin’s attitude toward transgender rights. We rate this claim Pants on Fire.” [PolitiFact, 2/21/22]
Vance On Ukraine: “Republicans Refused To Give Donald Trump $4B For A Border Wall For Four Years, But They Gave Joe Biden $14B For Ukrainian Aid In A Week. What Does That Say About The Priorities Of Congressional Republicans?” JD Vance’s press account tweeted, ‘“Republicans refused to give Donald Trump $4B for a Border Wall for four years, but they gave Joe Biden $14B for Ukrainian aid in a week. What does that say about the priorities of congressional Republicans?’ - @JDVance1 asks Laura Ingraham on the @IngrahamAngle #OHSen” [Twitter, @JDVancePress, 3/11/22]
May 2024: Vance Said It Was Not In America’s Interest To Fund Ukrainian Aid. According to Jewish Insider, “Vance used his speech to differentiate his opposition to Ukraine aid from his steadfast commitment to Israel. ‘I’m supportive of Israel and their war against Hamas. I certainly admire the Ukrainians who are fighting against Russia, but I do not think that it is in America’s interest to continue to fund an effectively never-ending war in Ukraine,’ Vance said. ‘It’s sort of weird that this town assumes that Israel and Ukraine are exactly the same. They’re not, of course, and I think it’s important to analyze them in separate buckets.’” [Jewish Insider, 5/23/24]
June 2024: Vance Claimed That The U.S. Focus On Ukraine Was “Endangering National Security.” According to Vance via his personal Twitter, “At this point we are actively endangering our national security by focusing on Ukraine to the exclusion of other priorities. A slow running disaster from the Biden admin.” [Twitter, @JDVance, 6/20/24]