JD Vance Archives - CrossFireArarbia

In Washington: Trump, Zelenskyy, Vance Locked in Verbal Fight

CrossFireArabia
February 28, 2025

READ the Full transcript of heated exchange at the Oval Office in the White House.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday got in a heated war of words with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance Friday during a critical meeting at the White House.

The public spat was over Zelenksyy’s doubts that Trump’s efforts to broker a deal to end the three-year-long war with Russia may not yield lasting peace.

Zelenskyy departed the White House following the argument, and a planned signing ceremony for a deal on critical minerals and press conference were canceled.

Here is the full transcript of the heated exchange at the White House:

Reporter: Poland was under Russian control for decades after the Second World War. When I was a kid, I looked at the United States not only as a most powerful country, richest country in the world, the country that has great music, great movies, great muscle cars, but also as a force for good. And now I’m talking with my friends in Poland, and they are worried that you align yourself too much with Putin. What’s your message for them?

Trump: Well, if I didn’t align myself with both of them, you’d never have a deal. You want me to say really terrible things about Putin and then say, hi, Vladimir. How are we doing on the deal? It doesn’t work that way. I’m not aligned with anybody. I’m aligned with the United States of America, and for the good of the world, I’m aligned with the world, and I want to get this thing over with. You see, the hatred he’s got for Putin that’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate. He’s got tremendous hatred, and I understand that, but I can’t tell you the other side is exactly in love with you know him, either. So it’s not a question of alignment. I have to I’m in line with the world. I want to get the thing said. I’m aligned with Europe. I want to see if we can get this thing done. You want me to be tough? I could be tougher than any human being you’ve ever seen. I’d be so tough, but you’re never going to get it done that way. So that’s the way it goes. One more question.

Vance: I will respond to this. So look, for four years, the United States of America, we had a president who stood up the press conferences and talked tough about Vladimir Putin, and then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a significant chunk of the country. The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy. We tried the pathway of Joe Biden of thumbing our chest and pretending that the President of the United States’ words mattered more than the President of the United States’ actions. What makes America a good country is America engaging in diplomacy. That’s what President Trump’s doing.

Zelenskyy: Can I ask you?

Vance: Sure? Yeah.

Zelenskyy: He (Putin) occupied our parts, big parts of Ukraine, part of East and Crimea. So he occupied in 2014. so during a lot of years. So I not speaking about just President Obama, then President Trump, then President Obama, now President Trump, God bless now President Trump will stop him. But during 2015 nobody stopped him. He just occupied and took. He killed people.

Trump: I was not here.

Zelenskyy: Yes. But during 2014 till 2022. The situation the same that people are been dying on the contact line. Nobody stopped him. You know that we have conversations with him, a lot of conversation, many bilateral conversation, and we signed with him.. In 2019 I signed with him, the deal, I signed with him, Macron and Merkel, we signed ceasefire. Ceasefire. All of them told me that he will never go. We signed him, gas contract. Gas contract, yes, but after that, he broke the ceasefire. He killed our people and he didn’t exchange prisoners. We signed the exchange of prisoners, but he didn’t do it. What kind of diplomacy JD you are speaking about? What do you mean?

Vance: I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country, Mr. President, Mr. President, with respect. I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems, you should be thanking the president for trying to bring it into this.

Zelenskyy: Have you ever been to Ukraine that you see what problems we have?

Vance: I have been to.

Zelenskyy: Come once.

Vance: I’ve actually, I’ve actually watched and seen the stories, and I know what happens is you bring people. You bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr. President. Do you disagree that you’ve had problems bringing people in your military? and do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?

Zelenskyy: A lot of questions. Let’s start from the beginning. First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you, but you have a nice ocean and but don’t feel now, but you will feel it in the future.

Trump: You don’t know that.

Zelenskyy: God bless, you will not have a war…

Trump: Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel, because you’re in no position to dictate that exactly.

Zelenskyy: I am not telling you.. (inaudible) I am answering… question…

Trump: You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel. We’re going to feel very good.

Zelenskyy: You will feel influence…

Trump: You’re right now not in a very good position. You’ve allowed to be in a very bad position, and it happens to be….

Zelenskyy: From the very beginning of the war.. (inaudible)…

Trump: You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now. with us, you start having problems right now.

Zelenskyy: I’m not playing cards…

Trump: You are playing cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.

Zelenskyy: I am the president of.. (inaudible)

Trump: You’re gambling with World War II. You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that’s back to you far more than a lot of people say they should..

Vance: Have you said thank you?

Zelenskyy: A lot of times…

Vance: No, in this entire meeting?

Zelenskyy: Even today…

Vance: You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October, offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.

Zelenskyy: Please, you think that, if you will speak very loudly about the war…

Trump: He is not speaking loudly, your country is in big trouble.

Zelenskyy: Can I answer?

Trump: No, no, you’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.

Zelenskyy: I know…

Trump: You’re not winning. You’re not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out okay, because of us.

Zelenskyy: We are staying in our country, staying strong, from the very beginning of the war, we’ve been alone, and we are thankful. I said, thanks…

Trump: You haven’t been alone…

Zelenskyy: I said thank you…

Trump: We gave you, through this stupid president, $350 billion we gave you military equipment…. if you didn’t have our military equipment, if you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks…

Zelenskyy: In three days. I heard it from Putin in three days. This is something…

Trump: Maybe less…

Zelenskyy: in two weeks.. of course.

Trump: It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this.

Vance: You said thank you.

Zelenskyy: I said… (inaudible)…

Vance: Except that there are disagreements, and let’s go litigate those disagreements, rather than trying to fight it out of the American media, when you’re wrong, we know that you’re wrong.

Trump: You see, I think it’s good for the American people to see what’s going on. I think it’s very important. That’s why I kept this going so long. You have to be thankful you don’t have the cards. You don’t have the cards..

Zelenskyy: I am thankful…

Trump: You’re buried there.

Zelenskyy: I can tell you again…

Trump: People are dying. You’re running low on soldiers.

Zelenskyy: Listen…

Trump: You’re running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing. Then you tell us, I don’t want to ceasefire. I don’t want to ceasefire. I want to go and I want this… Look, if you could get a ceasefire right now, I tell you, you take it so the bullets stop flying and your men stop being killed…

Zelenskyy: Of course, we want to start the war, but I …

Trump: You are saying you don’t want to ceasefire. I want a ceasefire because you get a ceasefire faster than…

Zelenskyy: Ask our people about ceasefire. What they think… (inaudible)…

Trump: That wasn’t with me, that was with a guy named Biden who was not a smart person.

Zelenskyy: It was your president…

Trump: That was with Obama who gave you sheets and I gave you javelins. Yes, I gave you the javelins to take out all those tanks. Obama gave you sheets. In fact, the statement is Obama gave sheets and Trump gave javelins, you got to be more thankful, because, let me tell you, you don’t have the cards. With us, you have the cards, but without us, you don’t have any cards.

Anadolu

Opinion

Is America Abandoning Europe?

CrossFireArabia
February 17, 2025

In 2007, Russia’s President Putin gave a now-infamous speech at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), announcing Russia’s new posture of hostility towards the US and Europe. In 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, many looked back at Putin’s 2007 Munich speech as a revealing moment of his intentions.

This year’s MSC could be a similar watershed. This time, the warning bells ring from across the Atlantic. US Vice President JD Vance delivered one of the most hostile speeches by a US official to Europe in decades. Rather than addressing the Russian or Chinese threats, Vance argued that Europe faced a “threat from within,” accusing the EU and national governments of censorship and ignoring popular demands on issues like illegal migration.

Meanwhile, away from Munich, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Putin, setting the stage for negotiations between the US and Russia for a peace agreement in Ukraine – without involving European counterparts in the discussions. The day before, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced some of the US expectations from this deal: Ukraine should drop its NATO membership bid, European countries would need to provide the forces to enforce the agreement, and these forces would not be covered by NATO’s Article 5 guarantees.

The transatlantic picture in which the MSC took place was even bleaker. Since Trump’s inauguration one month ago, the new president had promised (and now imposed) tariffs against countries across the world, including Europe. He has threatened to annex the territory of allies like Canada and Denmark.

Normally, the MSC is an opportunity for the United States to reaffirm its commitment to Europe and the Atlantic alliance. This year, it could be remembered as the time when the US started the process of abandoning Europe – or even going aggressively after it.

An attack on Europe

Vance’s speech and the reactions to it have dominated the discussions at the MSC. Although the conference theme was “multilateralization”, the real topic on everyone’s mind was: how would Trump’s second administration approach Europe?

As the pre-conference report argued: “Donald Trump’s presidential victory has buried the US post–Cold War foreign policy consensus that a grand strategy of liberal internationalism would best serve US interests.” That this consensus was gone was clearly visible in the conference. Despite perfunctory references to shared values, Vance’s speech did not talk about the alliance between Europe and North America, nor about the common threats and how to face them.

And he has voiced support for anti-EU parties. Vance pronounced his speech in Germany, just weeks before federal elections, and argued that there should not be “firewalls” in government – a clear reference to the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) which has so far been kept out of governing coalitions. After the speech, Vance met with the AfD leader.

Additionally, Vance criticized Romania for canceling its 2024 elections and accused the EU of censoring free speech. But Vance failed to acknowledge that the very election that brought Trump and him to power in November was the subject of major foreign interference by Russia, China, and Iran. Rather than sitting idly by, US agencies took active measures to counter these malign actions and prevent disruptions – like raising awareness, coordinating with the media, and keeping politics out of the fight. With his speech, Vance seems to be arguing for the exact opposite approach.

All these issues did not touch on security and defense, the core of the MSC’s discussions. But they did lure in the background of Vance’s speech. A few months ago, Vance argued that the EU should not regulate tech companies owned by Elon Musk. If the Europeans did so, he argued, the US should reduce its security commitments to NATO. Hence, American assurances could become bargaining chips to resolve other issues.

How will the EU respond?

Vance’s Munich speech marks a new era in US relations with Europe. While the themes are not new – Trump has never been a fan of NATO, and enjoys courting Europe’s far-right – the extent of the rhetorical change cannot be understated. Ukraine’s President Zelensky, speaking in Munich the day after Vance, spelled out the challenge in clear terms: “We can’t rule out the possibility that America might say ‘no’ to Europe on issues that threaten it.”

The reaction from European leaders has been strong so far. EU Commission President Von der Leyen called for an emergency clause in the EU treaties to allow member states to boost defense spending [8]. French President Macron called for a summit of European leaders in Paris on Monday, February 17 – to sketch out a common position on the upcoming negotiations over Ukraine, and on making up for US security guarantees from Europe.

The greatest challenge, however, will be transforming outrage into meaningful action. Europeans have long ignored calls to take charge of their own security. Domestic constraints over spending, divisions and the continued belief that Uncle Sam will have their back have stood in the way of ambitious choices. Will this time be different?

This opinion was written by Giuseppe Spatafora for the Anadolu news website.

News

Spanish PM Sanchez Vows to Fight Trump on Gaza

CrossFireArabia
February 15, 2025

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to fight against US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians and turn Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East” at a rally on Saturday.

“No real estate operation can cover up the disgrace, the crimes against humanity… that we have seen in Gaza in recent years. We should not allow it. And from Spain, we will not allow it,” he said in the Basque Country.

Boycott Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to seize the Gaza Strip, urging global resistance against it. pic.twitter.com/edyd2I3bJH
— Dr. Fundji Benedict (@Fundji3) February 15, 2025

Spain’s Socialist Party leader insisted instead on a two-state solution where Palestinians and Israelis live in “peace, harmony, and safety.”

Earlier this month, Trump said the US would ‘take over’ and ‘own’ Gaza, sending its entire population to neighboring countries to make room for luxury real estate development.

Spain’s Sanchez also rebuked US Vice President JD Vance’s recent comments in Munich, in which he called for European leaders to broaden their tolerance for far-right parties.

“What the international far-right wants is to destroy Europe from within,” said Sanchez, calling it a “Trojan horse.”

“Today we need more Europe than ever, not less,” he said, calling on Spain’s conservative Popular Party to break its pacts with Spain’s far-right party Vox.

Sanchez accused Spain’s right-wing groups of avoiding criticisms of the US while it slaps tariffs on European goods, both for countries like Spain and far-right-led nations like Hungary.

“They are tough against the weak but servile to the powerful. They don’t put country first; they put money first,” he added.

He described the far-right as a “multinational” made up of “neoliberals, billionaires, and the far-right” who want to privatize social welfare, roll back human rights, and disregard climate change.

“If we accept it, we normalize it, and our defeat begins… we need to raise our voice against this type of backsliding,” he added.

With the threat of further US tariffs on Europe, Spain’s prime minister said he is against trade wars and will fight for the interests of Spanish workers.

Sanchez also said Spain would stand up against “those who want to unilaterally break international law” and fight for multilateralism.

He said that when peace negotiations begin for Ukraine, “any future of Ukraine must pass through Ukrainian leadership. And any conversation about Europe’s security must be negotiated with Europeans.”

Besides leading Spain, Sanchez is also president of Socialist International, an organization that promotes democratic socialism globally according to Anadolu.