Senator JD Vance has expressed strong criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s return to the United States to seek additional taxpayer funding for the ongoing conflict with Russia. Vance referred to the visit as the “most disgraceful charade” of his first year in the Senate during an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle.”
Vance characterized the entire scenario as “utterly disgraceful,” emphasizing the undignified process that involves Zelenskyy requesting an additional $61 billion in taxpayer dollars for the war effort against Russia. According to Vance, Zelenskyy’s approach involves pressuring American legislators to approve the funding, framing those who oppose it as “puppets” of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The senator, speaking with host Laura Ingraham, highlighted the stark contrast between Zelenskyy’s push for more funding and the challenges faced by rural America, including rampant inflation and job outsourcing. Vance criticized Zelenskyy’s suggestion that those prioritizing border security concerns were somehow aligned with Putin, labeling the rhetoric as “disgraceful” and “grotesque.”
In response to Zelenskyy’s approach, Vance pointed out that the Ukrainian president has not applied the same confrontational tactics with his European neighbors for financial aid. He expressed his refusal to support another “blank check” for Kyiv and urged fellow Republicans not to succumb to the pressure to abandon the fight for border security funding.
Vance emphasized that both Ukraine supporters and skeptics on the right have been vocal about the need for substantive border control funding before approving additional financial aid for Ukraine. He criticized Zelenskyy’s actions, stating that the Ukrainian president was coming to the United States to lecture and demand more American taxpayer dollars while suppressing dissent within his own country.
The senator highlighted Zelenskyy’s crackdown on figures such as priests and others who voiced opposition, characterizing the situation as a “disgraceful charade” during his nearly one-year tenure in the Senate.
Ingraham reported on Zelenskyy’s speech in Washington, where he associated anyone “inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill” with being aligned with “Putin and his sick clique.” Vance concluded by questioning the effectiveness of Ukraine’s recent offensive, suggesting that minimal territorial gains may result in the country becoming a permanent client state of the United States.
Vance underscored the importance of focusing on domestic issues, such as affordability and the well-being of Americans, rather than solely prioritizing foreign aid for Ukraine.