After a weekend in which he faced public anger over his role in the clash between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, Vice President JD Vance is speaking out about the historic moment.

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity that was broadcast on Monday, Vance described last week’s tense exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy as “great TV.”

Vance then identified the moment when the discussion went “off the rails.”

One of the reporters in the room asked Trump to respond to those concerned that he aligns himself too much with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a US adversary.

Trump dismissed those worries, saying it was actually Zelenskyy’s hatred for Putin that was impeding a potential ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine.

Vance jumped in after Trump completed his answer to note his belief that the strategy of former President Joe Biden to unequivocally support Kyiv had failed and that the right path forward would be for the U.S. to engage in diplomacy led by Trump.

“Something about my answer just really set Zelenskyy off,” Vance told Hannity of that moment.

Zelenskyy, though, simply pointed out that Putin cannot be trusted.

In turn, Vance accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” to Trump.

“There was a lack of respect. There was a certain sense of entitlement,” Vance told Hannity.

Vance added that Zelenskyy “showed a clear unwillingness to engage in the peace process” Trump has been promoting and seemed to suggest the Ukrainian leader can’t afford to oppose Trump’s strategy.

“I think he’ll get there eventually,” Vance said. “He has to.”

Trump has since suspended US aid to Ukraine, in an effort to pressure Zelenskyy to negotiate ending the war.

Throughout the interview, Vance emphasised Trump’s desire to end the three-year conflict.

“The only thing that is in the best interest of America, of Russia, of Ukraine and of Europe is to bring this thing to a close,” Vance said. 

Zelenskyy has long said US security guarantees would be a crucial part of any future peace deal to prevent against future Russian aggression, which, so far, the US has not committed to providing.

Vance claimed the rare earth minerals deal Trump and Zelenskyy were originally due to sign last week — before the Oval Office clash prompted the Ukrainian leader’s abrupt departure — is actually the guarantee Ukraine is asking for.

“If you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,” Vance said.

“You’re not going to do that if you come to the Oval Office, insult the president and refuse to follow his plan for peace,” he continued.

During a family ski trip to Vermont on Saturday, Vance was met with a sea of signs calling him a “traitor” over his attitude toward Zelenskyy.