On Wednesday, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance cautioned that Washington might cease its efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine if both Moscow and Kyiv do not agree to the current proposals being discussed.
“We have put forward a clear proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s now time for them to either accept it or for the United States to step away from these negotiations,” Vance informed reporters during a four-day trip to India.
His remarks, which mirrored statements made earlier by President Donald Trump, came as high-level diplomats from the U.S. and Europe skipped a new round of peace discussions in London, where the latest talks on the ceasefire initiative were happening among senior officials.
“I believe it’s time to take, if not the final step, one of the last steps—which broadly involves the parties committing to halt the violence and to stabilize the territorial lines close to their current positions,” Vance stated.
He recognized that this plan would necessitate that both Russia and Ukraine “relinquish some of the territory they presently control.”
Earlier, Axios reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff opted out of Wednesday’s conversations in London after Ukraine indicated a preference for concentrating on a 30-day ceasefire proposal rather than a more comprehensive U.S. framework.
According to the news outlet, that broader framework entails U.S. acknowledgment of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, informal recognition of Moscow’s dominance over four other partially occupied Ukrainian regions, easing of sanctions, and a commitment to future economic collaboration.
Axios also pointed out that the proposed security guarantees for Ukraine remain unclear.
Trump, who has claimed he could finalize a peace agreement in Ukraine within 24 hours of returning to the presidency, initially suggested an unconditional ceasefire in March. Kyiv agreed to this proposal in principle, but it was subsequently rejected by the Kremlin.
Contributions to this report were also made by AFP.
