Vance Claims Russia is Demanding Excessive Concessions in Cease-Fire Talks
The Vice President stated that Putin has insisted Ukraine relinquish territories that Moscow has not managed to seize or control.
According to Vice President JD Vance, the Russian leadership is pursuing unreasonable demands in return for starting a cease-fire with Ukraine.
During his remarks at the Munich Security Conference on May 7, Vance indicated that the initial proposals from Moscow aimed at launching negotiations to conclude the war in Ukraine were unacceptable.
“When the Russians first laid out their peace proposal, our response was, ‘You’re asking for too much.’ However, this is part of how negotiations develop,” Vance remarked.
Despite Russia’s overreaching demands, Vance noted that the Trump administration anticipated both parties would initially present unrealistic goals, hoping for more favorable results in subsequent negotiations.
“We were aware that Russia would ask for excessive concessions because they believe they are winning on the ground,” Vance asserted.
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“We do not want Ukraine to fail. It is crucial for Ukraine to stay a sovereign nation. However, Russia cannot expect to gain land that they have yet to conquer, which is a key aspect of their initial peace proposal,” Vance stated.
This land likely pertains to the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia, which Putin claimed to annex in 2022 but which Russia does not fully control.
This revolt led to a violent guerrilla conflict that continued until Moscow initiated its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Vance expressed that it was acceptable for Putin to present unrealistic demands as long as the Trump administration perceived that genuine progress was being made towards ending the conflict.
He emphasized that both sides could start by making excessive requests, but stated that Washington would withdraw from peace negotiations if it determined either party was acting in bad faith and unwilling to participate meaningfully.
Additionally, Vance mentioned that Washington would continue to make demands of both parties periodically and would expect compliance from both Moscow and Kyiv.
He indicated that the next phase in this process involved getting Moscow and Kyiv to agree on terms to initiate direct discussions between the two conflicting nations.
“It is vital for both Russians and Ukrainians to start communicating with one another,” the Vice President remarked.
