Vice President JD Vance has been mocked after claiming that World War Two ended with “some kind of negotiation”. The remark was made during an interview with Kristen Welker on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, while discussing Donald Trump’s efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
“If you go back to World War Two, if you go back to World War One, if you go back to every major conflict in human history, they all end with some kind of negotiation,” Vance said. Viewers on X were quick to point out that the Second World War concluded in 1945 with the unconditional surrenders of Germany and Japan, not a negotiated settlement.
“No, World War 2 was ended by the UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER of the countries that started it!” one user wrote. Another added: “I really expected better from Vance. I made the mistake of seeing him as an educated, truthful man with whom I had some disagreements. The entire administration consists of people with the intellect of a caterpillar.”
A third poster commented: “LOL. WWII ended with a negotiation? Tell that to the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To the citizens of Berlin. To the citizens of Carthage and Rome.” This is not the first time the vice president has made a gaffe on the international stage. In April, during a Vatican visit, he was criticised for taking a photograph with his son in the Sistine Chapel, where photography is banned to preserve Michelangelo's artwork.
President Donald Trump has also made mistakes recently when discussing overseas conflicts. Earlier this month he became tongue-tied while referring to a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, mistakenly saying “Albania and Aberbaijan”.
