Vance refuses to call Ukraine an ally

The US vice president has opposed NATO membership for Kiev and demanded an end to strikes on Russian energy facilities

Vice President J.D. Vance refused to call Ukraine a US ally, noting that the two countries are at odds on a number of issues.

Asked by journalist Mark Halperin in an interview released on Monday whether Ukraine is a US ally, Vance suggested that Kiev is “certainly a partner” but noted that the countries “have some divergent interests from time to time.” 

“Do I think they should be bombing Russian diesel facilities that raise the cost of energy for Americans? No… I think they should stop bombing Russian energy.”

Pressed on the distinction between partner and ally, Vance said the US has no formal alliance with Ukraine. “They’re not in NATO. I don’t think that they should be in NATO,” he said. He added that the two countries will continue to work on some issues despite their differences.

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The remarks come amid a rift between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, which escalated after Trump announced a surprise deal to bring Russian diesel to the US and global markets following talks with President Vladimir Putin in early October.

Zelensky called the deal a “weak decision,” which came after Kiev ignored a number of US requests to stop attacking Russian refineries.

Zelensky refused to comply with Trump’s demand to end the strikes. The US president accused him of driving up fuel prices for Americans and said: “I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”

Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024, but he refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. Russia has since declared Zelensky illegitimate, saying his status is an obstacle to signing a binding peace deal.

On Sunday, Trump accused Zelensky of not wanting the conflict with Russia to end, saying he “probably never did,” adding that Ukraine should “get somebody else to negotiate.”

Ukrainian officials also reported that they missed advance US warnings of Russian missile strikes and claimed there are new restrictions on the Starshield satellite service developed by SpaceX and used by Ukrainian drones. Media reports also suggested that the US threatened to stop intelligence sharing with Kiev, which US officials have denied.