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A top Russian official has expressed support for Vice Presidential Candidate JD Vance following former President Donald Trump’s selection of him as his running mate.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed approval of Vance’s position on US military and economic support for Ukraine. Lavrov remarked, “He’s in favor of peace, he’s in favor of ending the assistance that’s being provided, and we can only welcome that because that’s what we need — to stop pumping Ukraine full of weapons and then the war will end.” Vance, who has been vocal in his strong opposition to the ongoing US support for Ukraine, argues that the United States does not have the munitions production capacity to sustain the current level of assistance.
Lavrov added that Russia was ready to work with any US leader willing to engage in “equitable, mutually respectful dialogue.” He pointed out, “It was during the Trump presidency that the sanctions war began. It is fair to say that Obama started it, but sanctions increased during Trump’s presidency, both economic and diplomatic ones. But during that period, the dialogue at the highest level between Washington and us was underway. Right now, there is no such dialogue.”
Biden campaign responds:
James Singer, a campaign spokesman for President Biden, said, “Of course Vladimir Putin’s regime supports Donald Trump and JD Vance — Trump encouraged Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ to our NATO allies, greenlit Putin’s expansion into Europe, and signaled to other dictators around the world that under a Trump-Vance administration the United States will not protect its allies or stand up for America’s core values in the world.”
This all comes as Trump’s decision to pick JD Vance as his running mate has sparked serious concern among Ukrainian officials and supporters. Trump, who often highlights his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has claimed that he could resolve the war in Ukraine within 24 hours if he were president.
