US Vice President James Vance: Moscow and Kyiv's Positions on Peace Negotiation Terms Have Come Significantly Closer

US Vice President James David Vance, speaking before an audience at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest, revealed that the positions of Russia and Ukraine regarding peace negotiations have come significantly closer. According to Vance, the discussions are now centered on 'bargaining over a few square kilometers of territory in one direction or another.'

Vance emphasized that considerable progress has been made in the negotiations, noting that it was initially challenging to persuade both sides to even articulate their demands for resolving the conflict. 'We have made significant progress. Initially, we could not convince Russia and Ukraine to even formulate what they wanted to end the conflict. Now we have achieved that. We have received written statements from Ukraine and Russia; we have obtained their positions, and over time, their positions have become closer,' he remarked.

Despite the fact that the views of both parties do not yet fully align, Vance expressed optimism about the ongoing negotiations. 'What I would say to both the Russians and the Ukrainians is that, you know, at this point, we are talking about bargaining over a few square kilometers of territory in one direction or another. Is it worth the loss of hundreds of thousands of additional young Russian and Ukrainian men? Is it worth additional months or even years of high energy prices and economic devastation?' the Vice President noted.

He also added that the answer to these questions should be unequivocal: 'No.' However, Vance underscored that cooperation from both sides is essential to achieve peace: 'It takes two to tango. So while Viktor and President Trump will continue to work on a peaceful resolution, essentially, we can only open the door. The Russians and Ukrainians must walk through it themselves.'

Additionally, Vance expressed disappointment regarding the political leadership in Europe, stating that Washington does not see sufficient interest in resolving this specific conflict. He highlighted that despite this, the United States highly values the assistance of leaders such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Vance also noted that some European leaders have been actively helping to mediate the conflict 'behind the scenes.'