{"id":3634,"date":"2025-03-10T12:00:45","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T12:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/"},"modified":"2025-03-10T12:00:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T12:00:45","slug":"come-to-bucha-jd-vance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/","title":{"rendered":"Come to Bucha, JD Vance"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Come<\/p>\n

During a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of leading \u201cpropaganda tours\u201d of Russia\u2019s destruction in the country. Zelensky, in turn, asked Vance if he had ever been to Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Of course, Vance\u2019s criticism<\/a> of Ukraine is not new. In a New York Times op-ed released in April 2024, Vance argued that America shouldn\u2019t help Ukraine, citing the burden of producing weapon systems like 155 mm shells and Patriot missiles. He suggested that the U.S. should pressure Ukraine to surrender territory it has lost to Russia and claimed that supporting Ukraine \u201cdoesn\u2019t add up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Vance makes further assumptions and jeopardizes diplomatic relations with Ukraine, I\u2019m pleading \u2014 with all due respect, as a fellow Ohioan \u2014 for him to do what I did: travel to Ukraine and visit the town of Bucha<\/a>, located in the suburbs of Kyiv. Bucha is the site of some of the first war crimes<\/a> committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, uncovered in the initial months of the full-scale war.<\/p>\n

Seeing Bucha will help Vance understand that this war is about more than just territory; it\u2019s a war between good and evil.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not an aid worker or foreign fighter. My visit to Ukraine was personal. In the early 2000s, as a record executive for Universal Music Group, I helped develop Ukraine\u2019s music industry. In May 2023, after more than a year of full-scale war, I traveled to Kyiv to check on my colleagues. I took the Kyiv Express, a 17-hour train from Warsaw to Kyiv. I saw destruction everywhere: bombed-out apartment buildings, malls, and machine gun-riddled cars and homes. Even a statue of the poet Taras Shevchenko had been shot up in the Borodianka town square.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\nIn the territories Vance wants to hand over to Russia, war crimes have been committed daily for over two years \u2014 including torture, executions, and the kidnapping of children.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

One of my colleagues offered to bring me to Bucha. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. I visited the site where mass graves were uncovered behind the local church. I spoke with an elderly church worker who survived the massacre by hiding in the basement for days. Listening to her terrifying account and seeing the destruction firsthand made it clear to me: this is a war of good versus evil.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\"Come<\/picture>
Bodies of civilians are seen in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on April 2, 2022, after the Russian army’s retreat from the city amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. (Ronaldo Schemidt \/ AFP \/ Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/div>\n
\"Come<\/picture>
A mass grave is seen behind a church in the town of Bucha, Ukraine, on April 3, 2022. (Sergei Supinsky \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/div>\n
\"Come<\/picture>
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) speaks to the press in Bucha, Ukraine, on April 4, 2022, after the Russian military’s withdrawal from the area amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. (Ronaldo Schemidt \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Bucha is one of many reasons why Ukraine cannot simply surrender territory to Russia. The war crimes uncovered in Bucha were revealed only after the Russian army<\/a> was driven out, three months after its occupation. In the territories Vance wants to hand over to Russia, war crimes have been committed daily for over two years \u2014 including torture, executions, and the kidnapping of children. By suggesting America should pull back from helping Ukraine, Vance risks ignoring these atrocities.<\/p>\n

As a loyal Republican, Vance would do well to look to former U.S. President Ronald Reagan for inspiration. Reagan confronted evil with steely determination, resulting in the end of the Cold War. For Reagan, American values justified confronting the Soviet Union \u2014 not excuses like production problems in weapons factories. Reagan, who loved Ohio and won the state\u2019s presidential election twice, understood the crucial role Ohio\u2019s military bases and weapons manufacturing played in the Cold War. But if Reagan were here today, I believe he would strongly disagree with Vance\u2019s policy of weakness.<\/p>\n

As a fellow Ohioan, I don\u2019t understand Vance\u2019s weak view of America. I grew up on a family farm in central Ohio, but we were both raised with the same Midwestern values \u2014 to support good and confront evil. And what the Russian army is doing in Ukraine is among the greatest evils of this century. Both of us learned about Ohio\u2019s greatest figures in public schools, from abolitionists Harriet Beecher Stowe and Sojourner Truth to astronauts John Glenn and Neil Armstrong \u2014 individuals who demonstrated courage and bravery.<\/p>\n

Most of Vance\u2019s constituents in Ohio support Ukraine. The Midwest is the heartland, and Ohioans consider ourselves the heart of America. What happened to your heart, Vance?<\/p>\n

Come to Bucha, Vance. You may find it there.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n Submit an Opinion
\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Trump\u2019s aid cuts could trap Eastern Europe in a disinformation bubble<\/div>\n
Georgia is in a grim state. Once vibrant, welcoming, and hopeful, it has become a country where peaceful protesters are beaten and journalists are branded as traitors. Over the past year, the ruling Georgian Dream party has stifled civil society and media with its foreign agent law, extended its rei\u2026<\/div>\n
\"ComeThe Kyiv Independent<\/span>Mariam Nikuradze<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"Come<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

– https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ukraine\/rss\/<\/p>\n

This article appeared on the websitekyivindependent.com
\nThis article is taken based on Law no. 8\/1996 of Romania. News does not enjoy copyright, so they can be taken, this is our right to take news and information in its entirety and distribute them further. The content was made available to us through the rss mechanism
\nOriginal Content<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of leading \u201cpropaganda tours\u201d of Russia\u2019s destruction in the country. Zelensky, in turn, asked Vance if he had ever been to Ukraine. Of course, Vance\u2019s criticism of Ukraine is not […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3635,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1152,1],"tags":[4445,1122,1352,123,1353],"class_list":["post-3634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kyivindependent","category-news","tag-bucha","tag-come","tag-jd","tag-to","tag-vance"],"yoast_head":"\nCome to Bucha, JD Vance - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Come to Bucha, JD Vance - News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"During a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of leading \u201cpropaganda tours\u201d of Russia\u2019s destruction in the country. Zelensky, in turn, asked Vance if he had ever been to Ukraine. Of course, Vance\u2019s criticism of Ukraine is not […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-10T12:00:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-2166216632-1-.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Misu Videan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Misu Videan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/\",\"name\":\"Come to Bucha, JD Vance - News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1239687516-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-10T12:00:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-10T12:00:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7d76dd7ecd7d235e40cce6ec62083b69\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1239687516-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1239687516-1.jpg\",\"width\":1240,\"height\":862},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Prima pagin\u0103\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Come to Bucha, JD Vance\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/\",\"name\":\"News\",\"description\":\"Euro TV News Agency\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7d76dd7ecd7d235e40cce6ec62083b69\",\"name\":\"Misu Videan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2584ffca062277b8497cf6c9182e423c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2584ffca062277b8497cf6c9182e423c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Misu Videan\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.ziaruldebanat.ro\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/author\/mihai_vidjean\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Come to Bucha, JD Vance - News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Come to Bucha, JD Vance - News","og_description":"During a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of leading \u201cpropaganda tours\u201d of Russia\u2019s destruction in the country. Zelensky, in turn, asked Vance if he had ever been to Ukraine. Of course, Vance\u2019s criticism of Ukraine is not […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/","og_site_name":"News","article_published_time":"2025-03-10T12:00:45+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-2166216632-1-.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Misu Videan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Misu Videan","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/","url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/","name":"Come to Bucha, JD Vance - News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1239687516-1.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-10T12:00:45+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-10T12:00:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7d76dd7ecd7d235e40cce6ec62083b69"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1239687516-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1239687516-1.jpg","width":1240,"height":862},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/come-to-bucha-jd-vance\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Prima pagin\u0103","item":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Come to Bucha, JD Vance"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/","name":"News","description":"Euro TV News Agency","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7d76dd7ecd7d235e40cce6ec62083b69","name":"Misu Videan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2584ffca062277b8497cf6c9182e423c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2584ffca062277b8497cf6c9182e423c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Misu Videan"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.ziaruldebanat.ro"],"url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/author\/mihai_vidjean\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1239687516-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}