Ohio Senator J.D. Vance is positioning himself as a potential running mate for former President Donald Trump. Like Trump, Vance has been accused of aligning with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin, particularly in his stance on Ukraine.


This year, Vance has publicly criticized American policy towards Ukraine in various platforms, including the New York Times, the Senate floor, and an international conference in Munich. He has voted against aid for Ukraine and called for immediate negotiations to end the war. Critics argue that Vance's approach would only embolden Putin to expand Russia's boundaries and undermine neighboring democracies.


"I don’t know whether Vance is just naive or sinister, but his policies go against the interests of all Americans and all citizens of the free world as it relates to Russia and Ukraine," said Bill Browder, a human-rights activist targeted by Putin for his role in promoting sanctions against Russian human-rights abusers.


Vance’s office declined to respond to detailed questions for this story. However, in recent comments, Vance acknowledged that Putin might not be a "nice guy," but insisted that there are more pressing global issues than opposing the Russian president. "There are a lot of bad guys all over the world, and I’m much more interested in some of the problems in East Asia right now than I am in Europe," he said in February.


Critics argue that Vance's stance misunderstands the threat posed by Putin. Tetiana Hranchak, a Ukrainian researcher now at Syracuse University, explained that Putin sees himself as a successor to figures like Joseph Stalin and Peter the Great, and aims to reestablish a Eurasian empire to avenge the fall of the Soviet Union.


"Putin is obsessed with power, greatness, and revenge. He’s not interested in democracy but in the complete subjugation of other people," Hranchak said. "He wants to create a new Eurasian empire and get even with the Western world."


In Munich, Vance condemned Putin over the suspicious death of Alexey Navalny, the leader of Russia’s political opposition. However, Vance continues to oppose U.S. financial support for Ukraine, arguing that Ukraine’s resistance is futile. "If the $61 billion aid package goes through, it is not going to fundamentally change the reality on the battlefield," Vance said in Munich.


Vance has also criticized Germany and other European countries for not contributing enough to their own defense, echoing Trump’s complaints about NATO allies not pulling their weight. "For three years, the Europeans have told us that Vladimir Putin is an existential threat to Europe, and for three years, they have failed to respond as if that were actually true," Vance said in April.


Experts dispute Vance's claims. Data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy shows that when support for Ukraine is measured per capita, the U.S. is only the 16th most generous country. Germany is expected to devote 2% of its GDP to defense this year, meeting NATO targets.


As Vance campaigns for Trump’s vice-presidential spot, he argues that Ukraine lacks the manpower and the U.S. the capacity to restore Ukraine's 1991 boundaries. "Ukraine needs more soldiers than it can field, even with draconian conscription policies," Vance wrote in an April column in the New York Times.


Charles Kupchan, a Georgetown University professor, agrees that Ukraine faces challenges but argues that U.S. support is crucial. "Putin was emboldened to invade Ukraine after the U.S. and NATO didn’t stand more forcefully against the Crimea invasion in 2014," Kupchan said. "Calls to stop U.S. support would only embolden Putin."


Kupchan suggests that Ukraine should adopt a defensive posture and might have to cede some territory, but that continued support from the West is essential to any lasting peace. "We need to make it clear to Russia that we have more staying power. This is a war that is imposing very considerable costs on Russia," Kupchan said.


Bill Browder warns that cutting off funding to Ukraine could lead to further Russian aggression, potentially even into NATO countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, escalating into a larger conflict involving the U.S. directly.


Vance, however, remains skeptical of fears about an imperialist Putin. "You hear all the time that unless we send resources to Ukraine, Putin will march all the way to Berlin or Paris," Vance said in April. "But Putin can’t get to western Ukraine, let alone Paris."


Critics argue that Ukraine's success in repelling Russia is due in large part to U.S. support. Ending that support, they say, would not only betray Ukraine but could ultimately draw the U.S. into a much larger and more costly conflict.