Russia welcomes Vance’s views on Ukraine after Trump VP announcement

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday welcomed Sen. JD Vance’s (Ohio) position on U.S. military and economic support for Ukraine following former President Trump’s announcement he tapped the Ohio lawmaker as his running mate.

“He’s in favor of peace, he’s in favor of ending the assistance that’s being provided and we can only welcome that because that’s what we need — to stop pumping Ukraine full of weapons and then the war will end,” Lavrov said in a press conference Wednesday, according to a translation by Reuters.

Vance has repeatedly expressed concerns about continued U.S. military and financial support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. He once said he doesn’t “care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.”

The Ohio Republican has raised doubt the U.S. can carry on support to Ukraine, arguing the U.S. does not build enough munitions to sustain the level of assistance currently being given to Kyiv.

“We will work with any American leader, we will remain ready to work with any U.S. leader, who the U.S. people elect,” Lavrov said, if the leader is “willing to engage in equitable, mutually respectful dialogue,” per Reuters.

The Biden-Harris campaign said it was “no surprise” Russia was expressing support for Trump and Vance.

“Of course Vladimir Putin’s regime supports Donald Trump and JD Vance — Trump encouraged Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ to our NATO allies, greenlit Putin’s expansion into Europe, and signaled to other dictators around the world that under a Trump-Vance administration the United States will not protect its allies or stand up for America’s core values in the world,” Biden-Harris campaign spokesperson James Singer said in a statement Wednesday.

Trump’s choice of Vance sparked alarm bells for some Ukraine supporters who are worried about the implications of the pick given his foreign policy viewpoints. It is not yet clear how much influence Vance would have on foreign policy should Trump win reelection in November.

Lavrov on Wednesday said he believes there was more dialogue between Russia and the White House under Trump, in contrast to the Biden administration.

“It was during the Trump presidency that the sanctions war began. It is fair to say that Obama started it, but sanctions increased during Trump’s presidency, both economic and diplomatic ones. But during that period, the dialogue at the highest level between Washington and us was underway. Right now, there is no such dialogue,” he said, per a translation from CNN.

Trump, who has claimed he had more friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has repeatedly claimed that he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in just 24 hours if he were the president.

Updated 6:03 p.m. ET.