Vice President JD Vance is facing mounting criticism after gushing over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “soft-spoken” demeanor, even as Trump’s much-hyped Alaska summit with the Kremlin failed to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Vance admitted he’s spoken to Putin “a number of times” on the phone but never met him in person. Despite that distance, Vance painted a surprisingly sympathetic picture of the Russian leader, calling him “very deliberate” and “careful.”
“You know, it’s interesting,” Vance told Ingraham. “He’s more soft-spoken than you would expect. The American media has an image of him, but when you talk to him, he’s very deliberate… he’s a person who looks out for the interests, as he sees them, of Russia.”
Critics pounced on the remarks, calling them tone-deaf at a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is entering its fourth bloody year.
The controversy comes just days after President Trump’s high-profile meeting with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, which ended without any concrete agreement on ending the war.
Trump had promised on the campaign trail — and again after taking office — that he would “end the war in one day.” Instead, sources say the Alaska talks collapsed after Putin rejected U.S. calls for an immediate ceasefire.
“Trump walked into that summit thinking he could strong-arm Putin the way he does GOP donors,” one senior European diplomat told Reuters. “Instead, Putin walked away with nothing on the table but leverage.”
Despite the failed talks, Vance defended Trump’s approach, praising the president’s “no BS diplomacy.” He revealed that during a Monday strategy session at the White House, Trump stunned European leaders by abruptly announcing he would call Putin directly — without clearance or preparation.
“You had a lot of Europeans saying, ‘We need proper vetting, teams to prepare the call,’” Vance recalled. “And the president said, ‘Nope. I want to talk to the guy.’”
According to Vance, Trump’s spontaneity helped secure a tentative agreement for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sit down with Putin in a trilateral meeting “soon.”
But foreign policy analysts remain skeptical. “This administration seems to believe diplomacy is about vibes and phone calls,” said Fiona Hill, a former Trump national security adviser. “That’s not how you end a war.”
Democratic leaders wasted no time seizing on Vance’s comments.
“JD Vance talks about Putin like he’s auditioning to be his biographer,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Thursday. “The American people deserve to know why this administration treats an autocrat who invaded a sovereign nation with kid gloves.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) slammed Trump’s strategy as “reckless cosplay diplomacy.”
“Every day this White House stalls, Ukrainians die, and Putin gets stronger,” she wrote on X.
Trump now faces growing pressure from NATO allies and Congress to deliver results. With Ukrainian forces losing ground and European nations demanding stronger U.S. leadership, critics say the administration’s approach risks emboldening Putin rather than containing him.
“The White House promised a quick resolution,” said retired Gen. Mark Hertling. “What we’re seeing instead is amateur hour.”
As the trilateral meeting looms, Democrats are bracing for more fireworks — and Americans are left wondering just how close this administration is willing to get to the Kremlin.
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The usual cast of critics! A bunch of know nothings and do nothings!
There’s more to the Ukraine situation than the LSM usually tells…
Patience on back and forth discussions and trying to persuade at war countries is fine. At least we are trying and by the way it’s also fine to smile while dealing in any way with foreign leaders.