Moscow has conceded in recognising that Ukraine will retain its territorial integrity after the war, US Vice President JD Vance has said.
“I did not say that they (Russia – ed.) conceded in everything. But they have conceded in recognising that Ukraine will have territorial integrity after the war. They recognised that they would not be able to install a puppet regime in Kiev. That was the main demand at the beginning. And importantly, they recognised that there are security guarantees regarding Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” the vice president told NBC News.
He said that sometimes Washington feels that great progress has been made with Russia in negotiations, and sometimes the U.S. president says he is disappointed with Moscow.
“We’re going to continue to do what we need to do to complete this,” he added.
During the “Meet the Press” interview, Vance did not characterise recent Russian strikes, particularly the strike on the US factory in Mukachevo, as long-term obstacles to peace, saying there was still plenty of room for negotiation.
“Ultimately we will succeed or we will face an obstacle. And if we face an obstacle, then we will continue this process of negotiation, of applying leverage,” he said.
The vice president was asked about the pressure on Russia if the U.S. does not “impose new sanctions.”
Vance replied that Trump has used “aggressive economic leverage” such as “secondary tariffs on India to try to make it harder for the Russians to enrich themselves from their oil economy.”
Recently, the US-based Institute for the Study of War analysed statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an August 19 interview that analysts say further underscore the Kremlin’s broader goal of gaining full political control of Ukraine before Russia ends the war.