JD Vance on Foreign Policy

Just because we don't like Putin doesn't mean we can't talk

A: Well, I think that he's clearly an adversary. He is a competitor. But I think that we also have to be smart about diplomacy, too. Just because we don't like somebody doesn't mean that we can't occasionally engage in conversations with them. And I think it's important if we're ever going to end the war in Ukraine, we're going to have to engage in some sort of negotiation between Ukraine, Russia, our NATO allies in Europe.

A: When you say that he's an adversary, you're not willing to call him an enemy?

Q: I don't want to be in a war with Vladimir Putin's Russia. I think that we should try to pursue avenues of peace. I'd also call China a competitor, but we're not in a war with China either. I do think, though, that China constitutes the biggest threat that we have for the United States of America. And I think that we have to be serious about it. But I think we have to be careful about the language that we use in international diplomacy.

Withdrawing US military from Mideast sends wrong message

I think a lot of countries are going to try to manipulate our voters. They're going to try to manipulate our elections. That's what they do. I think the bigger question is, what is in our best interest vis-a-vis Russia, not what price Russia should pay for putting out social media videos.

I don't think that we should set American foreign policy based on a foreign country spreading videos on social media. I think we should set American foreign policy based on what's in our best interest.

Pivot US policy to China and away from Europe

Putin is a bad guy, but there's no Domino Theory in Europe

Of the threat of Russian expansion into other European countries, Vance said: "We have to analyze these things in their own historical context. And Vladimir Putin might be a bad guy, and in fact I think he is, but he's not nearly as powerful in relative terms as Hitler‘s Germany was in the late 1930s. So the idea that he poses a risk to the broader European continent is just absurd to me."

Let Israel prosecute this war the way they see fit

A: there are two big problems with what the Biden administration is doing. First of all, it's a fundamentally incoherent policy. On the one hand, they're saying too many Palestinian civilians have been killed. With the other hand, they're depriving the Israelis of the precision-guided weapons that actually cut down on civilian casualties. So, if you're worried about Palestinian casualties, the stated policy here actually doesn't make a ton of sense. And I think the bigger problem here if we zoom out is, look, and I hate to say this, but America is not good at micromanaging wars in the Middle East. The Israelis are our allies. Let them prosecute this war the way they see fit.

Our military should not be used to "nation build"

A: [AFA choice C]: "The US has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger." [Vance's comment]: As a Marine, I have seen too many brothers and sisters die fighting in wars we should have never been in. Our military should not be used to "nation build". We should only be involved in war if it is in the US' best interest.

Q: What should the US do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?

A: Most important thing we can do is empower our allies in the region, especially Israel. Our military should be focused on destroying threats to this country, not nation building, and the best way to eradicate Islamic terrorism is to ensure that threats to this country are dealt with swiftly. We don't need gender studies programs in Afghanistan; we need the threat of American power when people threaten our citizens.

Put Americans first in response to Russia-Ukraine war

Ryan called for a "swift and significant response" if that occurs and argued Vance is weak on Russia. The congressman also criticized his opponent for saying he doesn't "really care what happens to Ukraine."

"I've been to Parma," said Ryan, referring to the Cleveland suburb with a large Ukrainian- American population. "I've met with the refugees. I meet with the women and the daughters and sons because the husbands are in Ukraine fighting. That's the kind of freedom we need to support, and J.D. Vance would let Putin roll right through Ukraine."

WWII distrust of Japanese now applies to Chinese

The Kawasaki merger represented an inconvenient truth: Manufacturing in America was a tough business in the post-globalization world. If companies like Armco were going to survive, they would have to retool. Kawasaki gave Armco a chance, and Middletown's flagship company probably would not have survived without it.

Address successive failures of Bush/Obama foreign policy