During an interview with Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday, MAGA-aligned former Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said sources told him that Russian President “Vladimir Putin has suggested that sanctions relief could result in Russia moving more of their energy commodities in the U.S. dollar, functionally giving Russia and the U.S. a lot of control over U.S. energy markets, that could lower energy costs for Americans.”
[Note: In the aftermath of Russia’s recently escalated bombings in Kyiv — and drone flights into the airspace of neighboring NATO member Poland — many U.S. politicians from both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), are strongly urging Trump “to respond with mandatory sanctions that will bankrupt the Russian war machine and arm Ukraine with weapons capable of striking Russia.”
Aware that financing is a key to Russia’s aggression, Trump said he doubled tariffs against India to 50% as a punitive measure because India continues to buy oil and gas from Russia, which finances Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.]
Yet instead of traveling the sanctions path, Gaetz asked Vance about a diametrically opposed approach to potential peace between Russia and Ukraine.
He asked the Vice President: “Do you see economic cooperation with Russia as one of the things that could bring an end to some of the hostilities that we want to see concluded?”
Vance replied: “Absolutely, and it’s one of the carrots we’ve thrown out there.”
Despite Trump’s recent statement that he was considering increasing sanctions pressure on Russia, Vance told Gaetz that President Trump “doesn’t see any reason why we should economically isolate Russia, except for the continuation of the conflict.”
Vance also said that while Trump “wants the killing to stop” he is also “very open to a whole host of economic arrangements that are beneficial to the United States of America.”
Vance is claiming that buying gas and oil from russia will somehow guarantee "durable peace" as if he’s spent the last two decades under a rock. Every single time rewarding russian aggression with new contracts fueled more aggression. Every.Single.Time.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) September 10, 2025
God, we are so screwed. pic.twitter.com/q6flwiQ8Dw
Vance added: “Let’s be honest, whether you like or dislike Russia, whether you agree or disagree with their underlying arguments for the conflict, the simple fact is they have a lot of oil, they’ve got a lot of gas, they’ve got a lot of mineral wealth.”
Vance said: “Frankly, if we had a better relationship economically in Eastern Europe, it might actually be the best guarantee of a long-term peace.”
Social media influencer “Kate from Kharkiv” responded to the interview by writing: “Vance is claiming that buying gas and oil from Russia will somehow guarantee ‘durable peace’ as if he’s spent the last two decades under a rock. Every single time rewarding Russian aggression with new contracts fueled more aggression. Every.Single.Time. God, we are so screwed.”
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