Donald Trump branded a ‘Russian asset’ as fury erupts at JD Vance’s British troops insult

Donald Trump’s decision to stop military aid to Ukraine has caused a huge backlash, with some even questioning if he is working in Russia’s interest.

The move came after Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for saying that peace with Russia is still far away. Trump was furious and said America wouldn’t tolerate it much longer.

The sudden suspension of aid caught British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer off guard. Just hours earlier, he had told Parliament he had no idea the US was planning this.

Former Conservative minister Graham Stuart reacted strongly, saying, *“We have to consider the possibility that Trump is a Russian asset. If that’s the case, then Putin’s intelligence agency has pulled off its greatest success, and Europe is now on its own.”*

Adding to the controversy, Trump’s Vice President, JD Vance, angered the UK by dismissing Britain as *“some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”* Speaking on Fox News, Vance ignored the sacrifices of British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and argued that instead of sending troops, the best way to keep Russia from invading Ukraine again was to give American companies financial incentives in Ukraine.

His remarks did not go unnoticed. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns reminded him that British forces had been involved in Bosnia, Iraq, and counter-terrorism operations in Northern Ireland. She also pointed out that when the US invoked NATO’s Article 5 after the 9/11 attacks, European allies, including Britain, stood by them in Afghanistan.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer are now pushing for a European-led effort to maintain stability in Ukraine, suggesting that European countries may need to send troops if necessary.

Meanwhile, a British military source hit back at Vance’s comments, saying, *“I didn’t see him in the firebase in Helmand or on the front line in Iraq.” They called him a gobby REMF”—military slang for a soldier who avoids front-line combat.

While Vance did serve four years in the US Marines and was deployed to Iraq in 2005, he worked as a military journalist and did not experience combat.

Liberal Democrat MP and former Army officer Mike Martin also criticized Vance, saying,“I’ve fought alongside American soldiers in Afghanistan, a war we joined to support them after 9/11. His comments about Britain are deeply offensive.”