WASHINGTON – Vice President JD Vance said the United States believes the next step in negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war is for the nations to agree to basic guidelines for direct talks, and the United States is willing to participate in the conversations.
But the vice president said the Trump administration believes Russia is “asking for too much” and now believes it is “probably impossible” for Americans to mediate the conflict without at least some direct conversations between the nations that have been at war since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“I wouldn’t say that the Russians are uninterested in bringing this thing to a resolution. What I would say is, right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much,” Vance said May 7 at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, D.C.
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Various officials in the Trump administration, including the president, have threatened to quit peace negotiations if the United States does not feel that enough progress is being made towards a deal. Vance indicated that the ultimatums were likely to come at every stage of the talks and said he had soured on the prospects of a deal.
“It’s very important for the Russians and the Ukrainians to start talking to one another,” Vance said May 7 at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, D.C. “We think that is the next big step that we would like to take.”
The vice president’s assessment came as news to President Donald Trump, who indicated at a White House event several hours later that he wasn’t aware of Vance’s remarks on Russian demands in peace negotiations.
“When did he say that?” Trump asked.
“Well it’s possible he’s right,” the president continued. “We are getting to a point where some decisions are going to have to be made. I’m not happy about it. I’m not happy about it.”
One key issue the United States has moved on from is securing a temporary ceasefire. Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. Russia doesn’t view that as in their strategic interests, Vance said.
“So we’ve tried to move beyond the obsession with a 30-day ceasefire, and more on the what would the long-term settlement look like, and we’ve tried to consistently advance the ball,” the vice president added in his remarks.
Vance defended talks between the Trump administration and Russia that have been criticized by Ukraine backers, saying they are aimed at forcing Moscow to outline what it wants in exchange for ending the conflict.
“And certainly the first peace offer that the Russians put on the table, our reaction to it was, ‘You’re asking for too much.’ But this is how negotiations unfold,” Vance said.
VP softens tone on Europe
Vance took a more congenial approach to the discussion than he did during a February speech at the group’s marquee conference in Munich that sparked backlash from American allies after he blasted European nations for dismissing the concerns of their electorate and combating misinformation through censorship.
In the Feb. 14 Munich speech, Vance told European nations that the biggest threat to European security is not China, Russia or any other external actor. “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values,” he said.
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But in Washington, he made a softer play, telling the group that his Munich remarks were meant to apply to the Biden administration as much as they did Europe.
“It’s not Europe bad, America good,” Vance said.
Rather, he said, both nations got a “little bit off track” in recent years. “I’d encourage us all to get back on track together.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JD Vance says Russia is ‘asking for too much’ to end Ukraine war
