US Could Send Troops To Fight Russia, JD Vance Warns

The United States sending troops to Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion is an option that's "on the table" if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not negotiate in good faith to arrive at a peace deal, Vice President JD Vance has warned.

The vice president spoke to The Wall Street Journal about options, including sanctions, in bringing about an end to the full-scale invasion Russia launched in February 2022.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense, via email, for comment.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump, who promised several times to bring peace to the region during his campaign, said that he and Putin had agreed in a "lengthy and highly productive phone call" on Wednesday to open talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Vance's warning has struck a new tone for the administration, which has spoken out repeatedly against the amount of money and resources being sent to Ukraine.

By contrast, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday: "We are not sending U.S. troops into Ukraine."

What To Know

Vance threatened to use sanctions and military action against Russia if Putin did not agree to a deal that guaranteed Kyiv's long-term independence.

"There are economic tools of leverage, there are of course military tools of leverage," he said.

He said, "I think there is a deal that is going to come out of this that's going to shock a lot of people," adding, "The president is not going to go in this with blinders on. He's going to say, 'Everything is on the table, let's make a deal.'"

Trump said on Thursday that Kyiv would be party to negotiations with Russia, as was demanded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following the president's phone call with Putin.

Trump confirmed he does not support NATO membership for Ukraine, saying: "I don't see any way that a country in Russia's position could allow them to join NATO. I don't see that happening."

What People Are Saying

Vance said in his interview with the WSJ that Trump could change his mind depending on how negotiations unfold.

He said: "President Trump could say, look, we don't want this thing, we might not like this thing, but we're willing to put it back on the table if the Russians aren't being good negotiating partners, or there are things that are very important to Ukrainians that we might want to take off the table."

Zelensky told journalists in Ukraine that Kyiv "will not be able to accept any agreements" made without its involvement. He also said it was important that "everything does not go according to Putin's plan, in which he wants to do everything to make his negotiations bilateral."

Putin told officials on January 21: "[There] should not be a brief truce, not some kind of respite for the regrouping of forces and rearmament with a view to a subsequent continuation of the conflict."

What Happens Next

With the negotiations ongoing, whether a U.S.-mediated peace deal will be accepted by all parties involved remains to be seen.