US Vice President JD Vance has sparked a furious backlash after making controversial comments about a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Vance’s remark that a US economic stake in Ukraine was a “better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years” has drawn ire from UK politicians, accusing him of disrespecting British forces.
Both the UK and France have expressed their willingness to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a peace deal, but Vance’s comments seem to dismiss their contributions. While he later clarified that he didn’t specifically mention the UK or France, his statement still triggered an outpouring of criticism.
Vance’s original statement came during an interview on Fox News, where he argued that giving the US an economic stake in Ukraine’s future would be a stronger guarantee of security than a foreign peacekeeping force. “The very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,” he said, adding that this was “a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
Although Vance insisted that he was not referring to the UK or France, both countries have pledged to send troops for any potential peace deal. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has stated that security guarantees, such as air cover, will be needed to deter further Russian aggression in Ukraine. However, Vance has downplayed such measures, suggesting that US workers involved in a Ukrainian minerals deal could provide sufficient assurances.
Vance’s comments were met with sharp criticism from UK opposition politicians, with Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge pointing out that both the UK and France had deployed forces alongside the US in Afghanistan, questioning the disrespect shown for their sacrifice.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch sought to downplay the incident, stating that people were “getting carried away” and urged others to remain calm. However, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson Helen Maguire, a former Royal Military Police captain, were quick to condemn Vance, with Maguire urging the UK’s ambassador to the US to ask for an apology.
Magazines and MPs from all sides of the political spectrum voiced their frustration at what they saw as a disregard for the sacrifices made by British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maguire went as far as to say that Vance was “erasing from history” the lives lost by UK forces in both conflicts.
One of the most vocal critics, Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, a former British Army officer, demanded clarification from Vance on which countries he was referring to. He called for an apology, saying Vance’s comments had caused “real offence.”
Downing Street remained tight-lipped on the matter, refraining from commenting on whether the Prime Minister found Vance’s remarks insulting but expressed admiration for the UK troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The UK’s involvement in Afghanistan dates back to 2001, with over 150,000 British personnel serving over the past two decades, and in Iraq, British forces peaked at 46,000 in 2003. Vance’s comment has therefore ignited a wider debate about the role of the UK in global peacekeeping efforts and the recognition of its armed forces’ contributions.
