UKRAINE-RUSSIA: Vance Warns Peace Deal Could Leave Both Sides Discontent
US Vice President JD Vance has admitted that any potential peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia is unlikely to satisfy either nation, hinting at a compromise that will leave both Moscow and Kyiv “unhappy.”
Speaking to Fox News in an interview aired on Sunday, Vance stressed that Washington’s goal was to broker an agreement both sides could accept, even if it was far from ideal.
“It’s not going to make anybody super happy. The Russians and the Ukrainians, probably at the end of the day, are going to be unhappy with it,” he said.
The remarks come as diplomatic activity gathers pace. Former US President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that he plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August in an attempt to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.
Trump claimed Moscow and Kyiv were edging towards a ceasefire, one that could potentially see Ukraine give up significant territory — a scenario already stirring strong opposition in Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded firmly on Saturday, ruling out any deal that would breach the country’s constitution on territorial integrity.
“Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupiers,” Zelensky said.
In the same Fox News interview, recorded before Trump’s announcement, Vance confirmed the US was coordinating talks between Putin, Zelensky, and Trump.
However, he questioned whether a direct meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders should happen before Putin speaks with Trump.
“We’re at a point where we’re trying to figure out scheduling and things like that around when the three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to the conflict,” he added.
The war, now dragging into its fourth year, has left millions displaced and vast areas of eastern Ukraine under Russian control.
Despite mounting international calls for peace, the path to a settlement remains fraught with political landmines, and any agreement may prove deeply unsatisfactory for both sides.
