US Vice President JD Vance stated on Wednesday that European nations must shoulder the lion’s share of financial responsibility for ensuring Ukraine’s security guarantees, emphasising a shift in burden towards regional stakeholders.
President Donald Trump wants to strike a peace deal to end Russia’s three-and-a-half-year-old war in Ukraine.
One of Ukraine’s key priorities remains securing firm guarantees against future Russian aggression. While President Trump has ruled out deploying American troops on the ground, he has indicated that the United States could extend air support if necessary.
European countries have formed a “coalition of the willing” that would commit forces to guarantee Ukraine’s security.
With Trump testy about billions of dollars in US military aid to Ukraine so far, the White House has said Washington will not continue “writing blank checks” to fund Kyiv’s defense.
Trump wants to shift more responsibility for the costs to European allies.
Europe Expected To Take Lead Role
“I don’t think we should carry the burden here…. The president certainly expects Europe to play the leading role here,” Vance told Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” show.
“No matter what form this takes, the Europeans are going to have to take the lion’s share of the burden. It’s their continent, its their security, and the president has been very clear – they are going to have to step up here.”
Current Situation
Vance said Russia wants some Ukrainian territory, “most of which they have occupied but some of which they haven’t.”
Russia occupies around a fifth of Ukraine, and Trump has said “land-swapping” and changes to territory will be crucial for any settlement.
Ukraine opposes conceding any territory, a position President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said is enshrined in the country’s constitution. But Kyiv currently lacks the military capacity to retake all Russian-held areas and has limited diplomatic leverage to force a withdrawal in the short term.
(With inputs from Reuters)
