US Vice President JD Vance faced criticism from a former British MP after disparaging the Anglo-French peacekeeping deployment regarding Ukraine. Vance claimed the US could provide superior security guarantees compared to other nations, dismissing the contributions of those who served alongside American forces. The remarks were met with outrage from British officials, prompting defense secretary members to assert the importance of honoring allied sacrifices. Vance defended himself by claiming he was not specifically targeting the UK or France but rather addressing the potential ineffectiveness of other nations without battlefield experience.
James Cartlidge, the Conservative shadow defence secretary, said, "It's deeply disrespectful to ignore such service and sacrifice."
Vance emphasized, "I don't even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond."
Vance criticized the notion of security guarantees from other countries, stating, "The US can provide way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that has not fought a war in 30 or 40 years."
Starmer's spokesperson stated, "The prime minister, and I think this whole country, is full of admiration for all British troops who have served, for instance, in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Collection
[
|
...
]