Camilla Jessen
Vice President J.D. Vance says Moscow has already made concessions but a final peace deal could still take months.
J.D. Vance says Russia has already made key concessions and that Trump’s “vigorous diplomacy” is working.
But if progress stalls, Washington is prepared to apply pressure.
A Longer Path to Peace?
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance believes that peace in Ukraine is possible within the next six months if ongoing negotiations between Washington and Moscow stay on course.
In a recent interview with NBC News, Vance said President Donald Trump is “deeply engaged” in a diplomatic push to end the war and has already accomplished more in a short time than Joe Biden did during his entire term.
“We Should Be Proud”
Still, he warned that “the negotiating process is not easy,” and the timeline for ending the conflict could stretch out into early 2026.
“Whatever the outcome is — whether the war is over in three months or six months, hopefully no more — we should be proud that we have a president who is trying to stop the killing,” Vance said.
“Significant Concessions” from Moscow?
Vance claimed that Russia has made “significant concessions” since talks began under Trump’s renewed push for diplomacy.
Among them, according to the Vice President, is Moscow’s willingness to abandon its earlier demand for a pro-Russian puppet regime in Kyiv and accept certain security guarantees for Ukraine.
“They were actually willing to show flexibility on some of their core demands that they had previously considered mandatory to end the war,” Vance said.
Still Unconfirmed
“I’m not saying they agreed to everything. But what they did agree to was the recognition that Ukraine would retain its territorial integrity after the war,” Vance added.
The U.S. administration has not yet released documents or specifics confirming these claims, and Ukrainian officials have not publicly commented on the alleged concessions.
Leverage If Talks Collapse
Vance also hinted at tougher actions if diplomatic progress stalls, saying that the U.S. is prepared to “use leverage,” including imposing new tariffs on Russia’s trading partners.
The approach is in line with President Trump’s recent moves to apply economic pressure on countries such as India and potentially China for continuing to import Russian oil.
“We will continue to do what we have to do to see this through,” Vance stated.
Trump’s Two-Week Decision Looms
Trump himself recently told reporters that a “very important decision” could be made soon if talks do not yield results.
“If they can’t stop the war, I’ll know what to do in two weeks,” Trump said, suggesting options ranging from “massive sanctions, massive tariffs — or nothing.”
He added that the final decision would depend on who is blocking progress and whether both parties are genuinely willing to negotiate.
“I told them [Putin and Zelensky] to hold a meeting,” Trump added. “That’s how we’ll know who is serious about ending this.”
Russia Signals Willingness — With Conditions
Following Trump’s remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin is willing to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, he noted that the agenda is “not ready at all.”
Lavrov also underlined that Russia’s stance on territory remains firm, saying Ukraine could only continue to exist “if it releases the territories captured by Russia.”
That position appears to clash with Vance’s claim that Russia has acknowledged Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Mixed Signals, But Talks Continue
Trump’s administration seems determined to keep talks with Russia alive and avoid a collapse that could lead to more violence or more economic penalties.
As Vice President Vance put it: “We’ve come too far to let this fall apart now.”
