By Sama Marwan,
Annapolis, Maryland – U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated on Friday that under President Donald Trump, the United States will carefully choose when to use military force and will avoid engaging in open-ended conflicts, describing this approach as a departure from previous U.S. policies.
Speaking at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Vance said the United States faces serious threats from China, Russia, and other nations, and will need to maintain its technological superiority.
Addressing graduating Navy and Marine Corps officers, he added that Trump’s order to use force against the Houthis in Yemen ultimately led to a ceasefire as part of an agreement where the group agreed to halt attacks on U.S. vessels.
“We need to be cautious when we decide to throw a punch, but when we throw a punch, we throw a strong, decisive punch,” Vance emphasized.
Vance asserted that some previous presidents entangled the United States in conflicts that were not essential to U.S. national security. While he didn’t name these presidents, his comments implied he was referring to former President George W. Bush, a Republican who launched U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his successor, Barack Obama, a Democrat who continued the war in Afghanistan.
The chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 under former President Joe Biden remains a point of sharp criticism from Trump.
“No more undefined missions, no more open-ended conflicts,” Vance added.
Vance concluded by saying that the United States enjoyed a period of dominance after the fall of the Russian-led Soviet empire, and that U.S. policies aimed at economic integration with U.S. rivals have backfired.
