Donald Trump’s Vice President today brutally dismissed Keir Starmer’s ‘coalition of the willing’ to secure Ukraine.
JD Vance jibed that the offer of a force with UK and French boots on the ground amounted to ‘20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years’.
He told Fox News that a minerals deal giving the US an economic stake in the country would offer more effective protection from Russia.
Hundreds of UK troops fought and died alongside American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The intervention came after Mr Trump inflicted another hammer blow on decades of Western alliances by pulling all military aid to Ukraine.
The White House has paused delivery of ammunition and other equipment to Kyiv after announcing overnight it was ‘reviewing’ assistance to ‘ensure that it is contributing to a solution’.
The move appears to be part of a power play to heap pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky to make concessions in negotiations with Russia.
Meanwhile, there are claims that Trump officials have been drawing up plans to ease sanctions on Vladimir Putin.
A government spokeswoman said the government is ‘absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace’ after the extraordinary decision by the US president.
In interviews, Angela Rayner admitted it is a ‘very serious moment’ but American military aid was a ‘matter for the US’.
JD Vance jibed that the offer of UK and French boots on the ground amounted to ‘20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years’
Keir Starmer is ‘engaging with key allies’ today after Donald Trump ‘s bombshell move to pull all military aid to Ukraine
Relations between Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump reached new lows on Friday with a public slanging match in the Oval Office
European leaders and Canada gathered in London on Sunday to consider the response to the Ukraine crisis
In his interview, Mr Vance heightened his criticism of the Ukrainian president, accusing him of ‘needling’ Mr Trump and having a ‘certain sense of entitlement’.
‘He showed a clear unwillingness to engage in the peace process that President Trump said is the policy,’ he told Fox News.
‘That’s the real breakdown. I think Zelensky wasn’t yet there. And, frankly, still isn’t there. But I think he’ll get there eventually, he has to.’
Mr Vance said Ukrainian officials have made at least one attempt to restart negotiations after leaving the White House, but their efforts were shut down by the president.
He claimed the ‘door is open’ as long as ‘Zelensky is willing to seriously talk peace’.
Highlighting the minerals deal, Mr Vance said that would amount to a security deal with the US that would prevent Putin ‘invading Ukraine again’.
‘If you want real security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,’ he said.
‘That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.’
A UK Government spokeswoman said: ‘We remain absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort. It is the right thing to do, and is in our interest to do so.
‘We have bolstered Ukrainian military capabilities through our commitment to provide Ukraine with £3 billion-a-year in military aid for as long as it takes and through a £2.26 billion loan using sanctioned Russian assets.
‘In addition, we’ve set up a partnership with Ukraine that allows them to use £1.6 billion of UK Export Finance to buy 5,000 air defence missiles manufactured in Belfast, putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position for peace.’
Ms Rayner said the premier remains ‘laser-focused’ on securing a lasting peace for Kyiv and would not be ‘derailed’.
‘We are absolutely focused on making sure that we get that peace and the security guarantees as part of that,’ she said.
‘We won’t be derailed or sidelined by commentary, ongoing commentary, but that we will use our relationship, our long-standing relationship, with the US and our European allies to support Ukraine and President Zelensky in getting that peace deal and making sure those securities are part of that.’
Sir Keir told the Commons just hours before Mr Trump’s intervention that he ‘understood’ the US position was not to withdraw aid.
Relations between Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump reached new lows on Friday with a public slanging match in the Oval Office.
That triggered crisis talks between European leaders in London on Sunday, with Sir Keir trying to forge a ‘coalition of the willing’ that could enforce any peace deal with Russia.
The UK and France have signalled they would be ready to contribute troops on the ground, while Canada, Italy and Poland are other potential participants.
But Sir Keir has made clear that UK troops would not be deployed without an underpinning of security guarantees from the US.
Mr Zelensky looks to be resisting Washington’s demands that he accepts the principle of ceding territory to Russia, after the latest full-scale invasion in 2022. Putin’s troops current occupy around a fifth of Ukraine.
A White House official said: ‘The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.’
The decision casts doubt over Ukraine’s ability to continue to defending itself against Russian invaders. It is understood the ‘pause’ will extend to undelivered aid already earmarked for Ukraine by the Biden administration.
A second official told Fox News that ‘this is not permanent termination of aid, it’s a pause’. All military equipment not currently in Ukraine will be halted and all future aid is now in jeopardy.
Trump’s shift followed an abrupt post warning that ‘America will not put up with it for much longer’ yesterday after Mr Zelensky suggested the end of the war is still ‘very, very far away’.
Sir Keir told the Commons just hours before Mr Trump’s (pictured) intervention that he ‘understood’ the US position was not to withdraw aid
Mr Zelensky was speaking after the London summit saw 18 allies joining to offer Ukraine security guarantees and reify their support. Sir Keir said the powers would work together to draw up a viable peace plan that could be presented to Mr Trump.
‘This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer,’ an infuriated Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social website.
Mr Trump also questioned Mr Zelensky’s commitment to peace, saying that he ‘doesn’t want there to be peace as long as he has America’s backing’.
He also hinted that Mr Zelensky might not be Ukrainian president much longer – a key demand of Putin.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the UK and Europe must ‘rearm faster’ following the US announcement.
She said:’ The news overnight that America is halting military aid to Ukraine is profoundly worrying.
‘It is clear that Britain and Europe must rearm much faster if we want to provide Ukraine with more than just warm words of support.
‘We must work to keep America in, and Russia out.’
