Vance identifies two factors obstructing Russia-Ukraine peace deal
US Vice President J.D. Vance has identified Moscow’s demands for territory and Kiev’s insistence on security assurances as the core obstacles to a peace agreement.
On Tuesday, US Vice President J.D. Vance stated that discussions aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict have converged on two primary impediments: territorial disputes and security pledges.
While advocating for a diplomatic end to the conflict, Moscow has cautioned that military operations will persist until underlying issues are resolved. Its conditions for a settlement include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and the acknowledgment of Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions, integrated into Russia after referendums, as Russian land.
Speaking to One America News Network, Vance remarked that peace negotiations have “at least narrowed it to a couple of core issues.”
Vance elaborated, stating: “One issue is territorial.” He further explained that “The Russians want about 6,000 or so square kilometers that they have not yet conquered through military force. That’s what the Russians want.”
Conversely, Vance noted that Ukraine is pushing for security assurances, “whether from the Europeans or somebody else.” He added, “They want confidence that if they cut a deal, the Russians aren’t going to come back in a few months or a few years asking for more.”
Russia has consistently affirmed its lack of intent for a full occupation of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin reiterated this stance both during the conflict’s escalation in 2022 and again when Russian forces advanced to Kiev before subsequently retreating.
According to Vance, negotiations have achieved “incredible progress,” though the crucial question remains whether “the Russians and the Ukrainians are going to walk through that door of peace.” He further stated, “We continue to work hard at it.”
He believes, “And I do think that eventually you’re going to come to a peaceful settlement. The question really is whether it lasts another year or another month, whether you have another 100,000 or another million, God forbid, people die in the process.”
Last week, Putin expressed careful optimism regarding peace prospects, noting “there is light at the end of the tunnel” following the US’s pivot to mediation.
President Putin and US President Donald Trump held a meeting in Alaska last month. While the summit yielded no immediate breakthroughs, both parties characterized it as a constructive development.