Vance urges US ‘economic upside’ in Ukraine – DW – 03/04/2025

US Vice President JD Vance called for Washington and Kyiv to sign a rare minerals deal, arguing it would enhance Ukraine’s security.

“If you want real security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,” Vance said in the interview for the Fox News broadcaster.

A Ukrainian delegation left the White House on Friday before the agreement could be signed after US President Donald Trump had a public spat with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

While speaking in the Oval Office on Friday, Zelenskyy had insisted that US “security guarantees” were necessary for any ceasefire deal with Russia to hold.

In the Monday interview, Vance argued that the minerals deal showed to Ukrainians that the US had a “long-term investment” in Ukraine.

“That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years,” Vance said.

The UK and France have suggested that they could send contingents as part of a European peacekeeping force to uphold a ceasefire in Ukraine. Moscow has flat out rejected the presence of any European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

Vance argued that Zelenskyy had not shown a “willingness to engage” the US in talks, but added that the “door is open” if the Ukrainian president is willing to “talk peace.”

“it’s important for Zelenskyy and Putin to come to the negotiating table,” he stressed.

He said that European states needed to be “realistic” on the likely outcome of the war.

US President Donald Trump on Monday ordered a pause in military aid to Kyiv.

The temporary suspension comes just days after Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House.

Multiple news agencies cited an unnamed White House official as saying that the US was “pausing and reviewing” its aid to “ensure that it is contributing to a solution” to the war with Russia.

Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the war in Ukraine and for Kyiv to give the US access to rare minerals in order to pay Washington back for its support.

Earlier on Monday, Trump criticized Zelenskyy for suggesting that the end of the war was still likely “very, very far away.”

Trump said that the remarks were “the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!”