US Vice President JD Vance has stated that Moscow appears to be backing down on key demands in its ongoing war with Ukraine, suggesting “significant concessions” as efforts for a negotiated settlement progress.
In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Vance noted that President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged the need for security guarantees for Ukraine against further Russian aggression.
“For the first time in three and a half years of this conflict, the Russians have made real concessions,” Vance remarked, adding that they accept the impossibility of installing a puppet regime in Kyiv and recognize the necessity of guaranteeing Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
However, Vance cautioned that there remains little indication that the war, which has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and is the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II, is nearing an end.
Since the invasion began in February 2022, Russia’s initial ambitions for sweeping territorial control have gradually diminished.
Sources reported that in exchange for halting attacks, Putin is demanding that Ukraine relinquish claims to the eastern Donbas region, abandon its NATO aspirations, maintain neutrality, and exclude Western troops from its territory.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently suggested that a coalition of nations, including members of the United Nations Security Council, should serve as guarantors of Ukraine’s security.
On Friday, President Donald Trump reiterated the possibility of imposing sanctions on Russia if no progress is made toward a peaceful resolution within two weeks, expressing frustration following his recent meeting with Putin in Alaska.
Vance indicated that sanctions would be assessed individually, acknowledging that new penalties are unlikely to persuade Russia to agree to a ceasefire.
He highlighted Trump’s recent announcement of a 25% tariff on Indian goods as a potential tool for economic leverage in the pursuit of peace, emphasising that Russia could rejoin the global economy if it ceases hostilities.
