Vance fires back at Zelenskyy’s comments on justifying Russia’s actions

Reuters reports.

In response to Zelenskyy's recent comments, Vance noted that since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he has repeatedly condemned Russia but has also tried to understand the strategic goals of both sides in pursuit of a peaceful resolution.

"That doesn't mean you morally support the Russian cause, or that you support the full-scale invasion, but you do have to try to understand what are their strategic red lines, in the same way that you have to try to understand what the Ukrainians are trying to get out of the conflict," he said.

Vance also emphasized that such statements from Zelenskyy are absurd, given that the U.S. government actively supports Ukraine.

"I think it's sort of absurd for Zelenskiy (Reuters' spelling - ed.) to tell the [American] government, which is currently keeping his entire government and war effort together, that we are somehow on the side of the Russians," the vice president emphasized, adding that such rhetoric is "certainly not productive."

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Ukraine would help him understand what the Russian leader Vladimir Putin has done.