US Vice-President JD Vance has stated that Russia is demanding "too much" in its negotiations with Ukraine, signalling growing frustration from Washington with ceasefire talks aimed at ending the conflict between the two nations.
According to The Guardian, Vance made the comments at a security conference attended by senior military and diplomatic leaders in Washington, where he emphasised that the White House is focused on facilitating direct talks between the two sides and is prepared to walk away if certain benchmarks are not met. As reported by The Guardian, Vance said: "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."
The US vice-president’s remarks were echoed by President Donald Trump, who stated that it is "possible that’s right." Trump also expressed his dissatisfaction with the current situation, saying: "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." As The Guardian reports, senior administration officials, including Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are said to be growing increasingly frustrated with Russia’s inflexibility in discussions aimed at ending the war.
As quoted by The Guardian, during his remarks, Vance reiterated the threat that the White House would "walk away if [Trump] thinks he’s not making progress." He added: "In particular, the step that we would like to make right now is we would like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another. Obviously, the United States is happy to participate in those conversations, but it’s very important for the Russians and the Ukrainians to start talking to one another. We think that is the next big step that we would like to take."
The comments come amid reports that Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has held four rounds of direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but those discussions have not yielded concrete concessions from the Russian side. The Guardian reports that after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican last month, Trump threatened Russia with secondary sanctions over the continued bombardments of Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities, despite talks aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire.
Senior Russian officials have maintained a hardline position, demanding both a rollback of Nato as well as limits on Ukraine’s security and a degree of control over its internal politics. As The Guardian notes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that the root causes of the situation include Nato’s expansion and the rights of national minorities in Ukraine. Meanwhile, former US President Joe Biden has accused Trump of "modern-day appeasement," saying that the expectation that Ukraine ceding territory to Russia would end the war is "foolish," as reported by The Guardian.
The situation remains a pressing concern for international leaders, with many urging a peaceful resolution to the conflict. According to The Guardian, the US and other nations continue to play a key role in efforts to broker a ceasefire, with Vance emphasising the importance of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. The developments have significant implications for global politics and security, highlighting the complexities and challenges of resolving the conflict.
Related: Biden accuses Trump of ‘modern-day appeasement’ towards Russia
The issue has sparked heated debate among politicians and analysts, with some arguing that a more robust approach is needed to address Russian aggression. As the situation continues to unfold, The Guardian will provide ongoing coverage and analysis of the developments.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/07/trump-vance-russia-ukraine-ceasefire
