JD Vance opposes military assistance and NATO membership for Ukraine. He is currently Trump's VP selection.
On July 15, former US President and Republican presidential contender Donald Trump announced the selection of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate, reported Kyiv Independent.
The 39-year-old conservative, whose popularity skyrocketed after the publishing of his 2016 novel "Hillbilly Elegy," was named as Trump's vice presidential nominee on the opening day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Vance is one of Trump's most vociferous backers and an outspoken opponent of US assistance to Ukraine.
Vance, who had previously opposed Trump, changed his mind on the former president during his Senate campaign in 2021. He subsequently abandoned many of the policy objectives that propelled him to national prominence, instead aligning with Trump and adopting populist, isolationist beliefs.
"He's demonstrated himself to be this political chameleon who will jump on whatever is convenient," said Emily Channell-Justice, programme director at Harvard University's Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI).
According to Bloomberg, Vance was chosen from a crowded pool of possible vice presidential candidates, including North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, in part to win Ohio in November.
Ohio, a vital swing state with one of the biggest Ukrainian communities in the United States, voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020. Vance has represented Ohio since 2022.
The selection of Vance as Trump's running mate rekindled US President Joe Biden's campaign, with fresh pledges to "protect democracy." Following the July 13 assassination attempt, the Biden campaign suspended its assault against Trump.
Ukraine would be "completely irresponsible" to join NATO, according to Vance. He has also advocated that the United States should concentrate only on blocking Chinese growth, even if it means ceding sovereign Ukrainian territory to Russia.
"Any peace settlement is going to require some significant territorial concessions from Ukraine, and you're gonna have a peace deal, because that's the only way out of the conflict," Vance had said in February.
In April, Vance wrote an op-ed saying that the "math doesn't add up" when it comes to US backing for Ukraine. He also reiterated common talking points about how the Ukrainian military is forcefully recruiting citizens.
Sen. J.D. Vance (C) speaks with media between votes at the United States Capitol on February 12, 2024, in Washington, DC, as the Senate considers a military assistance package for Ukraine. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
Other allegations have targeted President Volodymyr Zelensky. In December 2023, as Congress continued to delay US military assistance to Ukraine, Vance claimed it was "gross" that Zelensky visited the US Senate "to apply pressure against Republicans as we fight for more border security."
Zelensky has often said that the government is ready to collaborate with a Trump White House in January 2025.
Vance has also opposed military help because of the war's possible long-term duration, claiming that the issue in Ukraine is that there is no clear ending.
This is not a new strategy for Vance. For a political chameleon, he has long been steadfast in his opposition to supporting Ukraine.
"What's happening in Ukraine doesn't threaten our national security," Vance tweeted in 2022, one day before Russia started its full-fledged assault.
Four days before, in an interview, Vance said, "I gotta be honest with you, I don't really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another."
When it comes to foreign policy matters other than Ukraine, Vance's perspective changes. He is a fervent backer of Israel's assault on Gaza and has often indicated interest in normalisation agreements between the United States and Arab countries.
According to Steve Pifer, a former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Trump's choice of running mate is irrelevant to Ukrainians since no contender will oppose him on Ukraine policy.
Trump's own pronouncements about Ukraine on the campaign trail have been bombastic and enigmatic, with promises of quick peace settlements that lack serious facts.
Peter Rough, the former director of research in George W. Bush's office, characterised Trump's approach to Ukraine as "a balancing act."
"I expect Trump to continue managing the competing factions within the party on Ukraine, as he did during the national security supplemental debate," Rough wrote in response to Trump's declaration.
"That balancing act is the distinguishing feature of Trump's approach to Ukraine. "I expect it to continue with Vance by his side."
Channel-Justice feels that Vance's opposition to Ukraine assistance will have little impact on the polls.
"Voters aren't going to vote for Trump or Vance because of their stance on Ukraine," she informed me.
"They're going to vote for Trump or Vance because they love Donald Trump."
