U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has publicly endorsed President Donald Trump’s decision to engage in direct diplomatic talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, framing it as a cornerstone of the ‘Trump Doctrine.’ In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Vance dismissed criticisms from European Union officials who had previously warned that Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska was a strategic miscalculation. The vice president argued that while one may not agree with Putin’s actions in Ukraine, dialogue remains essential to achieving peace. Vance highlighted Trump’s approach, which blends a commitment to a robust military with open negotiations, rejecting the notion that the U.S. should limit diplomatic engagement based on political alignment.
Trump’s decision to restart talks with Russia marks a significant shift from the previous administration’s policy of isolating Moscow, as he continues to urge Ukraine to reengage in peace negotiations. While the recent Alaska summit yielded no immediate results, both sides have acknowledged it as a positive step toward resolving the ongoing conflict.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed this week that Moscow was ready to resume contacts and rejected media reports claiming otherwise as false. The upcoming planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest in the fall has been postponed indefinitely, leaving questions about the future of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia.