US Vice President JD Vance faced backlash on a family ski weekend in Vermont after his contentious Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Dozens of protesters took to the streets of Waitsfield on Saturday morning, waving pro-Ukraine banners and Ukrainian flags to protest the visit of Vance to the Republican-held state.
Protesters walked with “International Embarrassment” and “Vermont Stands with Ukraine” signs, demonstrating against Vance’s remarks made in Friday’s White House meeting with Zelenskyy. Protests obliged the Vance family to relocate to a secure site instead of their planned ski resort vacation, according to American media outlets.
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There had been a protest of the Trump-Vance government organized in Waitsfield earlier in the week. But in the wake of Vance and Trump’s aggressive encounter with Zelenskyy, more came out to join. Many of the protesters cited Friday’s Oval Office confrontation as their motivation.
“After what he did yesterday, he crossed the line,” said protester Cori Giroux to Vermont Public Radio.
Despite the anger, Scott, a Republican governor of Vermont who never supported Trump in his presidential bids, urged people to be civil. “Please join me in welcoming them to Vermont and hoping they discover what makes our state, and Vermonters, special,” Scott wrote in a statement.
The controversy erupted after Vance aggressively challenged Zelenskyy in the White House, questioning Ukraine’s resistance to direct diplomatic talks with Russia. “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Vance told Zelenskyy, later accusing him of interfering in US politics by meeting with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign.
The passionate debate has also made American policy toward Ukraine more contentious, fueling protests and political furor.
