Latest news with #BomberTaskForceEurope25-2
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Vance: Adversaries are ‘afraid' of US military, and that makes tough talks like Putin possible
Adversaries' fear of the U.S. military is what makes tough negotiations like the one President Donald Trump is scheduled to have with Russian President Vladimir Putin possible, Vice President JD Vance told U.S. troops stationed in England on Wednesday. Vance's comments come as he's spent the past several days meeting with multiple European leaders in preparation for Trump's meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, with Putin in an attempt to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. "You guys make that possible," Vance, a former Marine, told U.S. troops stationed at Royal Air Force Base Fairford. "You guys are the reason why we can go into a negotiation with strength. You guys are the reason why we have leverage in these conversations with world leaders. Because they know that if we cut a deal, it is backed up by the finest fighting force anywhere in the world. And that is what makes your job so important." "The fact that people are impressed by you, the fact that so many people are frankly afraid of you is why we're able to do what we do as an administration," Vance said. Royal Air Force Base Fairford is home to the U.S. Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. It is also paramount for U.S. Air Force operations and serves as Air Force Global Strike Command's preferred bomber forward operating base in Europe. The Air Force routinely sends bomber aircraft to the military base as part of Bomber Task Force Europe 25-2 to train with NATO allies. For example, multiple Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers from Fairford participated in an exercise with Germany and Romania over NATO's eastern flank in March 2022 — just after Putin launched his invasion into Ukraine. Roughly 10,000 U.S. troops are based in the U.K., according to foreign policy think-tank Council on Foreign Relations. Vance told troops that he had just wrapped up a call with approximately 30 European leaders, coming on the heels of various meetings with other European allies about Ukraine talks in recent days. A Saturday meeting with representatives of Ukraine and other European allies led to "significant progress" on ending the conflict in Ukraine, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital. More details on the discussions were not available. But Vance said in a Sunday interview that he informed European leaders the U.S. is "done with the funding of the Ukraine war business," and that they must take on more of the burden in resolving the war. "What we said to Europeans is simply, 'First of all, this is in your neck of the woods. This is in your back door. You guys have got to step up and take a bigger role in this thing, and if you care so much about this conflict, you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourself,'" Vance told Fox News Sunday. Trump told reporters Monday that he'd be able to tell almost instantly if Putin is serious about negotiating a deal or not, and that he'd keep European leaders like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the loop after the meeting. "If it's a fair deal, I will reveal it to the European Union leaders and the NATO leaders and also to President Zelenskyy," Trump said. "I may say, 'Lots of luck, keep fighting,' or I may say we can make a deal."
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Vance to visit US troops during high-stakes UK trip ahead of Trump's Putin meeting
Vice President JD Vance is poised to meet with U.S. troops at a military installation in England Wednesday – capping off a high-stakes trip to the U.K. meeting with European leaders to discuss the war in Ukraine ahead of President Donald Trump's Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Vance's visit to the U.K. comes as he's sought to lay some groundwork with European allies leading up to Trump's talk with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska – and as he's turned up the heat on them to take greater ownership in the discussions since the conflict is in their backyard. The vice president is slated to visit Royal Air Force Base Fairford in England Wednesday, where the U.S. Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing and the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron are based. Vance, a former Marine, is expected to voice appreciation for their service, according to a source familiar with Vance's prepared remarks. The military installation serves as a key location for U.S. Air Force operations and is Air Force Global Strike Command's preferred bomber forward operating base in Europe. U.S. Air Force bombers are regularly deployed to the military base as part of Bomber Task Force Europe 25-2 to integrate with NATO allies and sharpen the service's global strike capabilities. Days after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, several Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers from Fairford conducted joint operations with Germany and Romania over NATO's eastern flank. There are approximately 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in the U.K., according to foreign policy think tank Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to addressing U.S. troops, Vance is poised to participate in calls with European leaders to discuss the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Fox News Digital has learned. The calls come on the heels of multiple other discussions with European allies on a series of topics – including the war – during Vance's U.K. visit. Vance has met with multiple U.K. leaders, including U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy. A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that Vance and Lammy discussed the relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. and the two allies' shared economic and technology goals during a meeting on Friday at Lammy's official residence, Chevening House, in Kent, England. Meanwhile, the two leaders also discussed the state of affairs in the Middle East, as well as negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. official said. The two also met with representatives of Ukraine and other European allies at Chevening House on Saturday. The meeting led to "significant progress" on ending the conflict in Ukraine, according to a U.S. official. No other details were provided regarding the Ukraine talks. It's unclear if Vance will accompany Trump to Alaska for talks with Putin. However, Vance said in an interview with Fox News that he communicated to European leaders that the U.S. is "done with the funding of the Ukraine war business," and that European allies must assume more responsibility in ending the conflict. "What we said to Europeans is simply, first of all, this is in your neck of the woods, this is in your back door, you guys have got to step up and take a bigger role in this thing, and if you care so much about this conflict you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourself," Vance told Fox News on Sunday. Congress has passed multiple measures to support Ukraine, totaling at least $175 billion in spending to aid Ukraine since February 2022, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Meanwhile, Trump told reporters Monday that he'd know within minutes is Putin actually interested in a deal or not. Still, he said Moscow and Kyiv must come to terms with some "land swapping" issues to sign off on a deal. "If it's a fair deal, I will reveal it to the European Union leaders and the NATO leaders and also to President Zelenskyy," Trump said. "I may say, 'lots of luck, keep fighting,' or I may say we can make a deal." Trump's meeting with Putin also comes as his relationship with the Russian leader has soured as peace negotiations have lagged. While the two seemed to remain cordial with each other publicly during Trump's first administration, that's changed in recent weeks as Trump has grown fed up with Putin's tactics. "We get a lot of bulls--- thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on July 8. "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."
