U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance acknowledged that the war in Ukraine is unlikely to reach a swift conclusion. Speaking, Vance emphasized that the central challenge now confronting the U.S. administration is identifying a path toward facilitating compromise between Moscow and Kyiv — a delicate effort to encourage both sides toward a negotiated settlement after more than three years of sustained hostilities.
But, Vance added, “it’s going to be up to [Russia and Ukraine] to come to an agreement and stop this brutal, brutal conflict”.
His comments came shortly after Washington signed a deal with Kyiv to share the profits of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in return for future US security assistance.
Vance made the comments in a wide-ranging interview, in which he defended Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine.
“Yes, of course, [the Ukrainians] are angry that they were invaded,” he said. “But are we going to continue to lose thousands and thousands of soldiers over a few miles of territory this or that way?”
Trump suggested this week that Ukraine might be willing to cede Crimea – which Russia invaded in 2014 – in order to reach a truce settlement.
But Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier implied that he would be unable to accept Russian control of the peninsula, citing the Ukrainian constitution.
Read also: Ukraine War: Crimea Will Remain With Russia – Trump
In an interview on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed for a decisive turn in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, warning that time is running thin. Without a breakthrough, he noted, President-elect Donald Trump will soon confront tough choices on America’s role in the fray. Rubio’s words carried a quiet urgency, reflecting the global stakes at play.
Across the divide, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled a fleeting three-day ceasefire set for May 8, pegged to Russia’s solemn World War II victory commemorations. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha countered with a bold call for a 30-day pause, a plea for breathing room in a war that refuses to relent.
But the drums of conflict drowned out these overtures. On Thursday night, Russian drones rained havoc on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine’s southeastern hub, injuring 14. The strike left scars on the city’s streets and spirits, though, mercifully, no fatalities.
Meanwhile, Moscow accused Ukraine of a brazen drone attack on a crowded market in Russian-held southern Ukraine, claiming seven lives and wounding over 20. Kyiv dismissed the charge, asserting its strikes zeroed in on military targets alone. The clashing accounts deepen a chasm of distrust, dimming hopes for dialogue.
