© EPA-EFE/WILL OLIVER He added that although the peace settlement process is testing the patience of Trump and the administration, the American leader is ready to see it through.
Russia and Ukraine, currently, in spite of all the undertakings of the United States, are not yet disposed to finalize a peace accord, as indicated by US Vice President J.D. Vance in a dialogue with Newsmax.
“Regardless of the extent to which the vigorous diplomacy of the US President can urge individuals forward, ultimately, there must exist two factions prepared to strike a bargain. And presently, notwithstanding all our endeavors, which we will continue, the Russians and the Ukrainians are simply not positioned to conclude a deal,” he articulated.
Concurrently, Vance expressed that, in his judgment, a resolution remains feasible, though it will necessitate “considerably more effort.”
“I think there is a fundamental mismatch of expectations where Russians tend to think they are doing better on the battlefield than they actually are ,” he noted.
According to him, this constitutes the hurdle in achieving consensus in recent months.
Vance stated that President Donald Trump's approach to foreign affairs has propelled the discussions further than under preceding administrations, yet both the administration and Trump “have been taken aback by the particularly complex nature of this challenge.”
Vance further conveyed that the administration has discerned that levies are more potent than penalties in influencing Russian conduct.
“Tariffs have proven to be quite an instrumental tool in negotiations with the Russians, whereas sanctions have been implemented for decades in this specific geographical area of the globe and universally, and I do not believe they yield particularly favorable outcomes,” the US vice president remarked.
In his estimation, sanctions, under certain circumstances, can inflict substantial harm on the US economy without yielding the anticipated effect.
“Of course, concerning Russia, the principal impetus of their economy is petroleum, which they vend to India and China. Consequently, the president has collaborated with both India and China to strive for a reduction in oil transactions and, once more, to exert duress on the parties within the region to broker peace,” Vance conveyed, appending that Trump “will persist in his forceful engagement in this matter.”
He acknowledged that this course of action has tested the resilience of members within the administration, encompassing himself and Trump; however, “given his sustained commitment to this matter,” he “harbors considerable confidence in his capacity to achieve an accord.”
“I anticipate his success. The sole uncertainty lies in the timeline,” Vance concluded.
As a reminder, today US President Donald Trump will convene with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington.
The day prior, he communicated having had a telephonic exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin and having consented to a meeting with him in Budapest within roughly a fortnight.
Notably, subsequent to his dialogue with Putin, the US president implied that he would not furnish Ukraine with Tomahawk projectiles, citing that “the US also requires them.” He included that the discussion with the Russian leader was “exceedingly amicable,” and that Putin did not favor the concept of providing Ukraine with cruise missiles.
