Vice President J.D. Vance is trying to tamp down on the criticism President Donald Trump has received for his approach to Russia-Ukraine negotiations, the New York Post reports. 

In case you missed it, Trump has been highly critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump has also suggested that Zelensky, to end the Russia-Ukraine war, is probably going to have to make some concessions.

This has rubbed some the wrong way - particularly those who believe that Ukraine should continue receiving support from the western world, in general, and America, in particular.

Vance, though, is having none of this.

Background

In case you missed it, Trump - this past week - put out a lengthy message regarding the Russian-Ukraine war.

He, in part, wrote:

Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and “TRUMP,” will never be able to settle. The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back. Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation.

This gives you some idea about just how critical Trump has been of Zelensky and of the Biden administration's handling of the Russia-Ukraine situation.

Trump went on to refer to Zelensky as "a dictator without elections," saying Zelensky "better move fast or he is not going to have a country left."

Despite the harsh words, Trump went on to suggest that negotiations to end the war are going well.

Vance pushes back

Following this, Trump received a lot of criticism, and, now, Vance has come to his defense. He did so at the recent CPAC event. He also released a lengthy social media statement on the matter.

In the statement, Vance began, "This is moralistic garbage, which is unfortunately the rhetorical currency of the globalists because they have nothing else to say." Here, he was referring to attacks on Trump, including that Trump is trying to appease Putin.

The vice president went on to criticise the way the Biden administration and others have handled the Russia-Ukraine situation.

Then, Vance laid out some "facts," arguing:

Given the above facts, we must pursue peace, and we must pursue it now. President Trump ran on this, he won on this, and he is right about this. It is lazy, ahistorical nonsense to attack as "appeasement" every acknowledgment that America's interest must account for the realities of the conflict.

He concluded, "That interest--not moralisms or historical illiteracy--will guide President Trump's policy in the weeks to come. And thank God for that."