Lawmakers from all political parties in Britain are condemning U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance after he claimed in an interview that the UK “hasn’t been in a war for 30 years.”
Vance made the comment in a Fox News interview on Monday while appearing to dismiss British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s call for European allies to form a “coalition of the willing” by offering troops to keep the peace in Ukraine if a deal is reached to stop Russia’s unprovoked invasion in the country.
Vance argued in the interview that the plan amounted to “20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.
Politicians and veterans in the UK interpreted Vance’s remarks as downplaying British military involvement in recent years. Brits fought alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan and lost over 400 troops, according to The Sun.
“Vance needs to wind his neck in,” former Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, who served as a commando in Afghanistan, said. “Show a bit of respect and stop making yourself look so unpleasant.”
“Serving with America and France were defining moments of my military career… Sad to hear the relationship reduced to this” ex-Armed Forces Minister and veteran James Heappey said, adding that Vance’s interpretation of history is “sad.”
“I fought alongside the US in Iraq and Afghanistan over almost two decades so I obviously don’t agree with Vance’s remarks,” former Army chief General Sir Patrick Sanders said.
“We lost over 450 men and women, plus 3,000 very badly injured when we went into Afghanistan post 9/11, with America as its allies. Nato had invoked Article 5,” former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West said. “It is utterly disgraceful that Vance ignores that and says such things. He is a ghastly man, I am afraid.”
Responding to the backlash, Vance tweeted: “This is absurdly dishonest.”
“I don’t even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond,” he added. “But let’s be direct: there are many countries who are volunteering (privately or publicly) support who have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful.”
So far, UK and France are the only countries who have agreed to send troops to Ukraine as part of the peacekeeping force.
