US Vice President JD Vance is facing criticism after getting his history wrong while defending President Donald Trump’s new approach to ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press on Sunday, Vance said that major conflicts usually end through negotiations, not with one side forcing total defeat. “If you go back to World War II, if you go back to World War I. If you go back to every major conflict in human history, they all end with some kind of negotiation,” Vance said.
But his example quickly drew backlash. World War II ended not through talks but with the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany on May 7, 1945, and Imperial Japan on Sept. 2, 1945. Critics on social media mocked the remark, with one user writing, “Vance says WWII ended in negotiation, someone tell that to Hiroshima.” Another added, “World War 2 ended with the exact opposite of a negotiation.”
During the interview, host Kristen Welker pressed Vance on whether Trump’s strategy meant Ukraine would be pushed to give up territory seized by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected that idea.
Vance sidestepped the concern, saying Ukrainians themselves would decide their borders. He added that the US role would be to mediate, not dictate. “If Ukrainians are willing to say something on territory that brings the conflict to a close, we’re not going to stop them. We’re also not going to force them, because it’s not our country,” Vance said.
The comments show a major shift from Trump’s harder stance just days earlier. On Aug. 15, Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska but failed to secure a ceasefire, despite warning of “severe consequences” if fighting continued.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
