JD Vance slammed for saying he tried to ‘defuse’ heated meeting that saw him and Trump confront Zelensky

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance appears to be doing some damage control after the tense face-off with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday, February 28.

Vance is now claiming he was actually trying to “defuse” the situation but from the way things went down, it looks like he did the opposite.

Oval Office showdown

It all started as a seemingly cordial 40-minute meeting between Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Volodymyr Zelensky in front of reporters. Trump has been positioning himself as a self-proclaimed deal broker for ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, which has been raging since Putin launched his invasion in February 2022.

At one point, Zelensky asked how the White House could trust Putin to actually keep his word in a peace deal. That’s when things got a little heated, Mediaite reported.

Vance didn’t appreciate Zelensky’s line of questioning and snapped, “I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media.”

Then, he doubled down by accusing Ukraine of forcing civilians to the frontlines due to manpower shortage.

Trump subsequently jumped in and accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III," adding bluntly that Ukraine “is not in a good position".

JD Vance tries to explain himself

Fast forward to Monday night, March 3, JD Vance was on Fox News trying to walk back the chaos in an interview with Sean Hannity. According to him, he wasn’t fueling the fire—he was actually trying to put it out.

“Even when Zelensky was kind of needling [Trump], even when Zelensky was saying things that I thought were untrue, the president just tried to be diplomatic,” Vance claimed. But then came the moment when things “really went off the rails".

Vance said, “And then when it really went off the rails, of course, is when… a Polish journalist asked a question, the president answered it. And then I answered it. And then, something about my answer just really set Zelensky off."

"So, then he came at me, and then I went back at him. And what I tried to do originally was actually try to defuse the situation a little bit," he added.

Vance also hinted that Trump actually wanted the showdown to play out in public and that Zelensky showed a “lack of respect” and a “certain sense of entitlement".

Internet isn't buying JD Vance's explanation

JD Vance's critics torched him for claiming he tried to "defuse" the situation in the Oval Office on February 28.

"Come on. That's not true. You were just rushing with gas to the flames," one posted on X.

"This is lying Vance!" another fumed.

"Defusing the situation by actually instigating it?" someone else asked.

"You failed at that sir!" read a comment.

"He would have done a better job defusing the situation by holding a live grenade and pulling the pin...." another quipped.

US-Ukraine relationship in jeopardy

It is worth noting that this wasn’t just a tense meeting and could very well shape the future of US support for Ukraine.

At the height of the exchange, Trump gave Zelensky a blunt ultimatum: “You either make a deal or we are out.”

The message was clear. Either Trump has his way, or Ukraine might have to face Russia alone.

Then, in a move that also felt like damage control, Zelensky quickly took to X to post a thank you message to America, Trump, and Congress.

"We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion," he wrote.

In another tweet, he said, "American people helped save our people. Humans and human rights come first. We’re truly thankful. We want only strong relations with America, and I really hope we will have them."

But just a few hours before Vance’s interview aired, Trump dropped the hammer as he announced he is pausing aid to Ukraine despite it already being approved by Congress.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.