Republican vice-presidential nominee, Sen. J.D. Vance, on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” on Oct. 27, was asked whether he viewed Russian President Vladimir Putin “as an ally or an enemy?” He answered that Putin was “an adversary … a competitor,” adding that the U.S. needs 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.”
NBC hostess Kristen Welker wasn’t satisfied, pushing Vance on the term enemy. Vance said: “We are not at war with him. And I don’t want to be at war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. I think that we should try to pursue avenues of peace.” Somewhat more surprising, Vance, who has picked China out as the main rival to the U.S., said that diplomacy is the proper road forward there also. Resolving problems may mean having to talk with rivals.
