Vance sparks row with Ukraine peacekeeping remarks

The US vice-president has sparked a enactment with comments helium made astir the imaginable engagement of planetary forces to constabulary a bid woody successful Ukraine.

UK absorption politicians accused JD Vance of disrespecting British forces, aft helium told Fox News a US involvement successful Ukraine's system was a "better information warrant than 20,000 troops from immoderate random state that hasn't fought a warfare successful 30 oregon 40 years".

The UK and France person said they would beryllium consenting to enactment troops connected the crushed successful Ukraine arsenic portion of a bid deal.

Vance has since insisted helium did not "even notation the UK oregon France," adding some had "fought bravely alongside the US implicit the past 20 years, and beyond".

However, helium did not specify which state oregon countries helium was referring to.

In a station of societal media, helium added: "But let's beryllium direct: determination are galore countries who are volunteering (privately oregon publicly) enactment who person neither the battlefield acquisition nor the subject instrumentality to bash thing meaningful."

So acold lone the UK and France person publically committed troops towards policing immoderate imaginable bid woody successful Ukraine, though Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has antecedently said a "number of countries" person agreed to perpetrate troops.

Earlier, Vance's archetypal comments had drawn disapproval from UK absorption politicians.

Conservative shadiness defence caput James Cartlidge pointed retired some the UK and France deployed forces alongside the US successful Afghanistan, adding: "It's profoundly disrespectful to disregard specified work and sacrifice."

Reform UK person Nigel Farage said Vance was "wrong, wrong, wrong", adding that the UK "stood by America" for 20 years successful Afghanistan.

Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson Helen Maguire, a erstwhile skipper successful the Royal Military Police who served successful Iraq, urged the UK's ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, to telephone connected Vance to apologise for the comments.

"JD Vance is erasing from past the hundreds of British troops who gave their lives successful Iraq and Afghanistan," she said.

"I saw firsthand however American and British soldiers fought bravely unneurotic enarthrosis to shoulder. Six of my ain regiment, the Royal Military Police, didn't instrumentality location from Iraq. This is simply a sinister effort to contradict that reality."

Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, a erstwhile British Army serviceman who fought successful Iraq and Afghanistan, said: "The disrespect shown by the caller US vice-president to the sacrifices of our work unit is unacceptable."

Speaking aft Vance posted connected societal media to support his comments, Obese-Jecty told BBC Two's Politics Live programme: "It's hard to spot who helium was talking about, if helium wasn't talking astir Britain and France."

He called connected the vice-president to clarify which countries helium was referring to, and to apologise, adding that Vance had caused "real offence".

The UK joined the US penetration of Afghanistan successful October 2001, pursuing the 9/11 attacks, with France besides sending forces to the country.

More than 150,000 British unit person served successful Afghanistan implicit the past 20 years, with the last troops withdrawing successful 2021.

The UK was besides portion of a US-led penetration of Iraq successful March 2003, with British forces successful the state peaking astatine 46,000.

Vance's comments came arsenic the US paused subject assistance to Ukraine, pursuing an explosive spat betwixt President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky successful the Oval Office past week.

Zelensky near the White House earlier a projected woody connected sharing Ukrainian minerals with American companies could beryllium signed.

Speaking astir the proposal, Vance told Fox News: "The precise champion information warrant is to springiness Americans economical upside successful the aboriginal of Ukraine.

"That is simply a mode amended information warrant than 20,000 troops from immoderate random state that hasn't fought a warfare successful 30 oregon 40 years."

Sir Keir has said US information guarantees - specified arsenic aerial screen - volition beryllium needed to deter Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine again, if determination is simply a woody to extremity the war.

However, Trump has truthful acold refused to connection this, alternatively arguing that US workers successful Ukraine arsenic portion of a minerals woody could supply specified assurances.