Vice President Vance said in an interview that aired Sunday that security guarantees for Ukraine will not include American “boots on the ground” as the Trump administration pushes for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“For Americans who are watching, can you guarantee no U.S. boots on the ground as a part of these security guarantees?” NBC News’s Kristen Welker asked Vance on “Meet the Press.”
“The president’s been very clear. There are not going to be boots on the ground in Ukraine, but we are gonna continue to play an active role in trying to ensure that the Ukrainians have the security guarantees and the confidence they need to stop the war on their end,” Vance added.
“And the Russians feel like they can bring the war to a conclusion on their end. It’s complicated, Kristen, but we’re gonna keep on trying to play these parties. You know, we’re gonna keep on trying to convince these parties to talk to each other and continue to play the game of diplomacy because that’s the only way to get this thing wrapped up,” the vice president continued.
Russia said Wednesday that talks about possible Western security guarantees for Ukraine in a wider peace deal to end the war are a “road to nowhere” unless Moscow takes part in the talks.
“We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation. This will not work,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference.
“We have already explained more than once that Russia does not overstate its interests, but we will ensure our legitimate interests firmly and harshly,” Lavrov said.
“And I am sure that in the West and above all in the United States, they understand perfectly well that seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere.”
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