U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance has called for the initiation of direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in order to seek ways to end the war. In comments made on May 7, he noted that Russia “demands too much,” but at the same time emphasized the importance of dialogue, which could facilitate finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Call for Open Dialogue and the Realities of Negotiations
During a speech in Washington, Vance stressed that “the gap (between the positions of Ukraine and Russia) is wide,” yet he maintains an optimistic outlook regarding the possibility of ending the war. According to him, “we do not need to agree with Russian justifications for the war, but we must understand where they come from” and compel them to discuss what needs to be done to stop the conflict.
He added that “the step we need to take now is for Russia and Ukraine to start talking to each other,” and emphasized that without direct negotiations, it is difficult to act as a mediator in the process of ending the war.
“We are trying to move away from the obsession with a 30-day ceasefire. If cold reason prevails, we can stop the killings”
The U.S. Vice President’s comments came amid rising tensions in the conflict ahead of the celebrations on May 8-9, when Russia announced a ceasefire on the days marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day. In recent months, Washington has intensified efforts to seek a peaceful resolution, with U.S. President Donald Trump and other high-ranking officials calling for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that a peace agreement should be reached soon, although the question of the U.S. role in this process remains open. The Russian side also announced a three-day ceasefire in May, which elicited mixed reactions in Kyiv and the West. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described this initiative as “another attempt at manipulation,” while Trump considered it significant, given the initial difficulties.