JD Vance isn’t one to mince words. He and President Trump are very similar in that regard.
And Vice President Vance sticks it to Putin with this scathing rebuke.
Vice President JD Vance didn’t hold back on Sunday, taking a sharp jab at Russia’s fumbling efforts in Ukraine. After three grueling years and over a million lives lost, Moscow’s got next to nothing to brag about. It’s a total mess, and Vance laid it out plain and simple.
The VP expressed zero shock over President Trump’s statement last week, where he declared that Ukraine could reclaim its lost lands—and maybe even push beyond that. Trump’s words came like a thunderclap, flipping the script on what many expected from his administration.
Vance pointed to the final days of the Biden era, when Russia was steamrolling through Ukrainian territory without much resistance. Even just a few months back, the invaders were grabbing chunks of land left and right.
But now? “What’s happening right now, as the president articulated, is [that] Russia is really stalled,” Vance said on Fox News Sunday. It’s a standstill that’s costing everyone dearly.
“They’re k*lling a lot of people. They themselves are losing a lot of people. And they don’t have much territorial gain to show for it,” the vice president added, highlighting the brutal stalemate that’s drained Russia’s might.
This turnaround in Trump’s view hit right after his sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations. There, Trump dismissed Russia as nothing but a “paper tiger,” exposing the Kremlin’s hollow threats.
Insiders revealed to the New York Post that Trump’s public pivot stems from fresh intel on Russia’s crumbling economy and shaky front lines. It’s not just talk—it’s based on facts showing Moscow’s in deep trouble.
Vance echoed that sentiment, explaining how the president is sizing up the chaos. “The president is looking at the situation. He’s saying, ‘Look, the Russian economy is in shambles. The Russians are not gaining much on the battlefield. It’s clearly time for them to listen to his passionate plea for them to come to the table and actually talk seriously about peace,’ ” he said.
The big difference now is the battlefield truth staring everyone in the face. “I think what’s changed is the reality on the ground,” Vance noted, stressing how circumstances have shifted dramatically.
Yet, despite the openings, Moscow’s digging in its heels. “Unfortunately, what we have seen over the last couple of weeks, [is that] the Russians have refused to sit down with any bilateral meetings with the Ukrainians,” the VP lamented.
Remember that fiery Oval Office clash back on February 28? Vance went toe-to-toe with Zelensky, insisting on a proper “Thank You” from Ukraine and a real push toward ending the fight.
Since that tense moment, things have cooled off between the two leaders. They’ve patched up their differences, at least enough to keep the dialogue going.
In a fresh Axios chat, Zelensky downplayed any bad blood. “He’s not my best friend, but he is not an enemy,” the Ukrainian president stated, keeping it straightforward.
Zelensky had a tough time pinning down exactly why relations with the Trump team have thawed since February. But he suggested Trump’s frustration boils down to Vladimir Putin’s deceitful games. Last month, Trump headed to Alaska for a direct talk with Putin, aiming to nudge Russia toward a genuine peace deal. Instead, the Kremlin ramped up its assaults on Ukraine, showing zero interest in backing down.
Faced with that betrayal, Trump’s firing back by uniting NATO partners to slap secondary tariffs on nations still buying Russian oil. It’s a smart move to starve Putin’s war chest and force some sense into the equation.
“We’re going to keep on working for peace, and we hope the Russians actually wake up to the reality on the ground,” Vance added, summing up the administration’s determined stance.
This whole saga shows Trump’s no-nonsense approach in action—calling out weakness where he sees it and prioritizing American interests by pushing for an end to the bloodshed.
In the end, Russia’s blunders are piling up, and with leaders like Trump and Vance at the helm, the path to resolution looks clearer than under the old guard’s watch.
