JD Vance started the heated exchange that quickly devolved into a rare public showdown between Trump and Zelensky starining US-Ukraine relations.
JD Vance started the heated exchange that led to the showdown (Image: Getty)
Hordes of protestors interrupted Vice President JD Vance’s ski getaway with his family in Vermont after the public showdown between the United States and Ukraine in the Oval Office.
Vance and his family arrived in Vermont on a planned ski trip where they were met with thousands of protestors waving pro-Ukraine anti-Vance signs.
This follows the disastrous meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that devolved into a heated exchange led by Vance himself.
The meeting remained cordial until Vance tore into Zelensky, catching the latter off guard.
When asked what diplomacy he was referring to, Vance said, “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country.”
He then said, “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.”
He then went on to accuse Zelensky of campaigning on behalf of Democrats in the 2024 Presidential elections before falsely accusing him of failing to thank the United States for the funding they provided to aid Ukraine against Russian invasion.
While Zelensky’s atypical attack drew support among Republicans, Americans were visibly irked.
Protestors gathered outside the ski resort that Vance was supposed to stay at with his family, prompting them to leave to an undisclosed location, Fox News reported.
Banners criticizing the Vice President’s behavior and demeanor flooded streets, including ones that insinuated Vance’s ties with Russia.
“Vance is a traitor. Go Ski in Russia,” one such sign read.
The showdown has further strained US-Ukraine relations and made experts question Washington’s solidarity towards Kyiv as Moscow ramps up attacks on Ukraine.
Trump’s burgeoning kinship with Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “departure in US strategy that would have been unthinkable under the previous administration,” Nikkie Lyubarsky, a Research Associate at The Soufan Center, told Daily Express US.
“Even when the US and Russia had its best relationship… there was tenseness and distrust. I don’t think we’ve ever had a relationship that’s been so brotherly,” she said.
