Volodymyr Zelensky calls JD Vance ‘too radical’ ahead of possible meeting with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week publicly criticized Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, calling him “too radical,” ahead of a possible meeting with former President Donald Trump.

Zelensky, 46, also blasted Vance, 40, for his plan to end the war in Ukraine, calling it pressure for kyiv to “give up our territories.”

“He’s too radical,” Zelensky said of Trump’s running mate in a lengthy interview with The New Yorker published Sunday.

“Vance’s message seems to be that Ukraine must make a sacrifice. This brings us back to the question of the cost and who will bear it. The idea that the world must end this war at Ukraine’s expense is unacceptable.”

Vance has long been skeptical of U.S. military aid to the embattled ally, saying the United States does not have the resources to help Ukraine fight a protracted, munitions-intensive war against Russia, especially as Israel continues to battle Hamas.

Earlier this month, Vance outlined a plan to end the war in a radio interview — a plan that involved creating a special demilitarized zone between the two warring nations.

“He’s not joining NATO, he’s not joining some of these allied institutions,” Vance explained on “The Shawn Ryan Show.” “I think that’s what it ultimately looks like.”

The plan has sparked outrage in Ukraine.

Trump, 78, has himself boasted that he could end the bloody war in 24 hours, but he has not given many details. Trump spoke with Zelensky in July.

“It wasn’t like that with Trump”

“For us, these are dangerous signals, coming from a potential vice president. I must say that this was not the case with Trump. He and I spoke on the phone, and his message was as positive as it could be, from my point of view. ‘I understand,’ ‘I will support,’ and so on,” Zelensky told the outlet.

“I don’t take Vance’s comments seriously,” he added.

Zelensky argued that if Vance’s policy were to be implemented, “then America would be heading toward a global conflict,” because it would send a message to opposing nations: an “unspoken rule: I came, I conquered, now it’s mine.”

The Ukrainian president also recalled the lessons of World War II and the history of appeasement on the international stage.

Earlier this month, Trump dodged a question during his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris about whether he wanted Ukraine to prevail in the deadly war against Russian invaders.

“Trump makes political statements during his election campaign. He says he wants the war to stop. And so do we,” Zelensky said, ignoring Trump’s remarks.

Zelensky is expected to meet with President Biden this week at the White House as he travels to the United States to address the United Nations General Assembly at its 79th session in midtown Manhattan.

He visited a munitions manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

During his visit to the United States, which marks his fifth such trip since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky “plans to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, representatives of the U.S. Congress from both parties, and the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump,” according to his office.

It is not yet clear when a possible meeting with Trump will take place. The Washington Post has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.

“I think Ukraine has shown wisdom in not getting caught up in American domestic politics. We have always tried to avoid influencing the choices of the American people – that would simply be a mistake,” Zelesnky said.

Plan for victory

The talks between Zelensky and Biden will focus in particular on the revelation of a so-called plan for victory.

The Ukrainian delegation is trying to counter China’s peace plan aimed at containing the battlefield and promoting dialogue between the two warring countries.

Instead, Zelensky wants a total victory that would result in a return to its 1991 borders, which would mean regaining Crimea annexed by Russia as well as control of the Donbass region.

“Victory is a matter of justice,” Zelensky told The New Yorker. “(Russian leader Vladimir) Putin has absolutely no desire to end the war on reasonable terms.”

“The victory plan is a plan that quickly strengthens Ukraine. A strong Ukraine will force Putin to the negotiating table. I am convinced of that.”

Zelensky has remained mum on the potential strategies of his plan for victory, but has sent strong signals that it would involve significant support from Ukraine’s allies – both in arms and in the economy.

He also sought to push the United States to ease restrictions on long-range weapons. The move comes weeks after Ukraine launched a dramatic incursion into Kursk, a city in western Russia that apparently took Moscow by surprise.

“We understood that Russia was pressing us from the east,” Zelensky said of the military operation. “It has already yielded some results. It slowed down the Russians and forced them to move part of their forces to Kursk.”