Fears in Europe reignite over Vance

Donald Trump's choice of JD Vance as his vice-presidential candidate has reignited deep-seated fears in Europe that he would pursue a transactional America First foreign policy that could culminate in the US pushing for Ukraine to acquiesce to Vladimir Putin and sue for peace with Russia.

- Andrew Roth

"It's bad for us but it's terrible news for [Ukraine]," said one senior European diplomat in Washington.

"[Vance] is not our ally." Foreign diplomats and observers had regularly said it was impossible to know what Trump would do if he returned to power. Some soothed themselves by suggesting that names tipped for top positions, such as the former national security adviser Robert O'Brien, would maintain a foreign policy status quo while Trump focused on domestic affairs.

But a prospective Trump 2.0 administration now has a much more energetic figure who will 16 fuel Trump's scepticism toward Ukraine and Europe, while urging on the party's aggressive trade and foreign policy elsewhere.

"Senator Vance was one of the leading opponents of the new assistance package to Ukraine last spring and has expressed indifference to what happens in that war," said Michael McFaul, director at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a former ambassador to Russia. "By choosing Vance as his running mate, Trump has clarified a very clear choice for American voters in November on foreign policy."

"President Biden's foreign policy strategy radically contrasts with Mr Trump's approach," he continued. "Biden and Harris have promoted democracy and stood up to autocrats. Trump and Vance have paid no attention to advancing democracy abroad and instead have embraced autocrats. The contrast in foreign approaches embraced by these two presidential candidates has never been clearer in my lifetime."