Vice President JD Vance warned Wednesday that Moscow and Kyiv must reach an agreement or Washington will abandon its efforts to reach a cease-fire.
It was the Trump administration’s second warning in less than a week, despite President Trump’s repeated promises before his second term began that he would end the war immediately.
“We’ve made a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the US to withdraw from this process,” Vance told reporters in India, where he is on a four-day visit.
Vance spoke as envoys from Washington, Kyiv, and European nations met in the United Kingdom as part of a renewed US push to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“It’s now time, I think, to take, if not the final step, one of the final steps, which is, at a broad level, the party saying we’re going to stop the killing, we’re going to freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today,” Vance went on. “Now, of course, that means the Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own.”
Later Wednesday, President Trump took to Truth Social to criticize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for saying Ukraine will not recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea.
“This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion,” Trump wrote in a letter.
“No one is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a single shot fired? … Zelenskyy’s statement today will only prolong the ‘killing field,’ which no one wants! We are very close to a deal, but the man with “no cards to play” should finally get it done.
“That is enough. “The president is frustrated, and his patience is wearing thin,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters outside the White House Wednesday.
In apparent response to Mr. Trump, Zelenskyy reposted on social media a 2018 statement from Mr. Trump’s former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, in which Pompeo stated, “the United States reaffirms as policy its refusal to recognize the Kremlin’s claims of sovereignty over territory seized by force in contravention of international law.”
Zelenskyy said Wednesday that his country was prepared for any negotiations that could lead to a ceasefire, and he expressed his condolences to the families of nine civilians killed in a Russian drone attack on a bus earlier in the day.
“We insist on an immediate, complete, and unconditional ceasefire,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “Stopping the killing is the most important task. I am grateful to everyone who is focused on this and contributing to the end of the war.”
Mr. Trump promised on the campaign trail to reach an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv in 24 hours, but has yet to secure concessions from President Vladimir Putin. Mr. Trump proposed an unconditional ceasefire in March, which Kiev accepted but Putin rejected.
The White House welcomed a separate agreement by both sides to halt attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days, but the Kremlin believes the moratorium has expired.
The remarks by Trump and Vance came as senior officials from the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine were holding talks in London to secure a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled higher-level talks, according to The Associated Press.
Rubio said he spoke with his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, on Tuesday night and described the conversation as “productive.” He stated that Special Presidential Envoy Keith Kellogg would be leading the US delegation to London.
“I look forward to following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the U.K. in the coming months,” the senator said.
Lammy also described the conversation with Rubio as “productive,” adding that the United Kingdom is collaborating with the United States, Ukraine, and Europe to promote peace and put an end to Putin’s illegal invasion. Officials will meet in London tomorrow as talks continue at their current pace. This is a critical time for Ukraine, Britain, and Euro-Atlantic security.”