Donald Trump has given Vice President J.D. Vance an expanded role in coordinating a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, in what could end up being a crucial litmus test ahead of the 2028 election.
In the wake of the historic summits in Alaska and Washington, Trump announced that Vance would work with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to help resolve the bloody conflict in Europe.
The move is believed to be the first time Vance and Rubio, who are often touted as future Republican contenders for the White House, have been brought into such a major foreign policy challenge together.
But some question whether it could end up being a poisoned chalice depending on success or failure, particularly as doubts remain over Putin’s desire to stop the carnage.
“At least it’s a better assignment than Biden gave Kamala Harris with immigration,” said veteran political analyst Larry Sabato, referencing the former vice president’s early role in trying to tackle the U.S. border crisis.
Vance has been an energetic world traveler, often combining his trips with vacations. Most recently, he and Second Lady Usha Vance went to the U.K. where they met the country’s foreign secretary before heading for the celebrity hotspot of the Cotswolds region of south-west England, then traveled north to Scotland where Vance played at Trump’s Turnberry golf course.
Other foreign trips have included Italy, the Vatican—where he was the last person to meet the late Pope Francis—and India, where his family posed in local clothes and he and his wife went to the Taj Mahal.
Trump announced Vance’s latest role in a Truth Social post on Monday night, after the historic meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of France, UK, Germany, Italy, NATO and the European Commission.
The Washington summit was a major breakthrough in a war that began in February 2022 and saw few signs of abating until recently.
It was also a boon for Zelensky and the Europeans, whose combination of flattery and pushback staved off Trump from demanding immediate territorial concessions that Putin wanted in exchange for his cooperation.
The Ukrainian president was also met with a much warmer reception than his last meeting in the Oval Office in February, which resulted in Vance berating Zelensky for not being grateful enough for America’s military aid.
This time, the vice president was notably silent, much to the relief of Zelensky’s supporters in Europe and across social media.
“What a difference it makes when Trump is hemmed in by the adults in the room and J.D. Vance is sitting at the kids’ table instead of trying to ambush Zelensky,” Democratic influencer Majid Padellan posted on X.
Another pro-Trump pundit agreed, writing: “I think they super-glued Vance’s mouth shut. But overall that went better than I expected.”
After the meeting, the president called Putin “and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined.”
“After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
But questions remain about Russia’s willingness to negotiate an end to the war, given its foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, played down the prospect of a direct meeting on Tuesday.
It is also unclear what role America and European countries will have in protecting Ukraine through security guarantees.
Trump on Tuesday ruled out putting U.S. troops in Ukraine as part of any future peace-keeping mission, but the White House remains open to providing air support to Kyiv.
The issue is likely to be a balancing act for Vance, who has previously opposed further U.S. military assistance to Ukraine.
The vice president has been notably quiet since Monday’s summit and his office declined to comment when asked about his coordination efforts and what he hoped to achieve.
He did, however, retweet Trump’s Truth Social Post on Monday night and put out a post on Tuesday praising White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for rebuking the media for its coverage about Trump’s meetings.
“Karoline Leavitt lighting the American media up for lying about our negotiations with Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
