Washington needs to engage its adversaries diplomatically, Trump’s running mate has said
Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance has stated that the United States is not at war with Russia and should not seek one, when asked whether he would label President Vladimir Putin an “enemy” of America.
During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, the senator from Ohio was asked whether he viewed the Russian leader “as an ally or an enemy.” Vance responded that Putin is “clearly an adversary, he is a competitor,” but Washington needs to be “smart about diplomacy too.”
”Just because we don’t like somebody doesn’t mean that we can’t occasionally engage in conversations with them,” he suggested.
Host Kristen Welker pressed him further on whether he would directly refer to Putin as an enemy.
”We are not at war with him. And I don’t want to be at war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia,” the senator said. “I think that we should try to pursue avenues of peace.”
Vance extended this logic to China, stating that he perceives it as a greater threat to American interests than Russia. While the US may not enjoy having to engage with its rivals, the senator pointed out that negotiations will be necessary in the case of the Ukraine conflict.
Asked whether former President Donald Trump would withdraw the US from NATO, Vance assured that he wouldn’t. He stated that if his running mate returns to office, the country will honor its commitment to the organization, but the bloc “is not just a welfare client, it should be a real alliance,” referencing Trump’s criticism of insufficient defense spending by European members.
Moscow has identified NATO’s enlargement in Europe as a threat to its national security and a key reason for the deteriorating relations with the West. Russian officials have stated that the organization’s increased involvement in Ukraine since the 2014 armed coup in Kiev and its promise to bring Ukraine into the fold have significantly contributed to the current hostilities.
The current Democratic administration has pledged to stand by Kiev “for as long as it takes” to defeat Russia and has encouraged other nations to do the same. Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on Ukrainian aid, Ukrainian forces are currently retreating along various parts of the front. During his campaign, Trump claimed that he would end the hostilities in 24 hours if elected.