Key Takeaways
- Peace Requires Strength: Vance told U.S. and U.K. troops that America’s unmatched military power is what allows Trump to negotiate peace deals from a position of strength, not weakness.
- Troops Provide Leverage: According to Vance, world leaders know any deal with Trump is backed by “the finest fighting force anywhere in the world,” giving the U.S. a decisive advantage at the bargaining table.
- High-Stakes Putin Meeting: Vance’s remarks come just days before Trump heads to Alaska for direct talks with Vladimir Putin, aiming to end Russia’s three-year invasion of Ukraine.
Vice President J.D. Vance made it clear this week that America’s military strength is the backbone of President Donald Trump’s push for global peace — and he delivered that message straight to the men and women in uniform.
Speaking to U.S. and U.K. troops at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, Vance credited their service with giving Trump the leverage he needs ahead of high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The goal? Ending Russia’s three-year invasion of Ukraine.
“It is impossible to bring peace anywhere unless the bad guys are also worried that we’ve got a helluva fine Air Force and a helluva fine military to back up the peace,” Vance told the crowd. “What you guys do… is you make it possible for us to accomplish the president’s goals through negotiations.”
Vance drove home the point that military power isn’t just about winning wars — it’s about preventing them. “You guys are the reason we have leverage in these conversations… because they know if we cut a deal, it’s backed up by the finest fighting force anywhere in the world,” he said.
With Trump’s America-First foreign policy, peace is pursued from a position of undeniable strength, not appeasement. “The peace and the prosperity and the safety of your countrymen depend on you,” Vance told the troops, underscoring that their service directly shapes the nation’s security and economic future.
Trump and Putin will meet in Anchorage on Friday, and thanks to America’s unmatched military, the president will be negotiating from a place of strength — not weakness.