US vice president slams Russia’s unrealistic territorial demands in Ukraine peace talks

US Vice President JD Vance expressed concerns over Russia's territorial demands in ongoing peace talks regarding its invasion of Ukraine.

Vance remarked that Russia's expectations were unrealistic, particularly its request for territory it has yet to conquer, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“Russia can’t expect to be given territory that they haven’t even conquered yet,” Vance said. “And that’s one of the things that they’ve put down in that initial peace plan.”

Vance’s comments echoed statements made earlier at the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, where he said Russia was “asking for too much” and would likely need to make significant concessions for peace. However, Vance also noted that Russia’s aggressive demands were expected, given Moscow’s belief that it is currently winning the war.

“We knew that the Russians’ first offer would be too much, we knew that they would ask for more than was reasonable to give, that’s how negotiations often work,” he explained. “I’m not bothered by that. What would bother me is if we conclude that the Russians are not engaging in the negotiation in good faith.”

Vance warned that if Russia failed to engage sincerely in the peace talks, the White House could ultimately step back from its mediation efforts.

While President Donald Trump had initially directed much of the White House’s frustration toward Ukraine, in recent weeks he has indicated increasing dissatisfaction with Russia’s lack of urgency to resolve the conflict.

In April, Trump voiced concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be "tapping me along," suggesting the possibility of imposing sanctions as a response. On May 8, Trump took to Truth Social to call for an ideally 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, warning of further sanctions if the ceasefire is violated.

Vance, however, focused on the broader goal of achieving a long-term settlement, highlighting recent developments in the peace process. “The fact the Russians are offering a peace plan at all, that’s a breakthrough. The fact the Ukrainians are offering a concrete proposal, that’s a breakthrough,” Vance said. “But we’ve got to try to get these sides a little bit closer together to achieve a lasting peace.”

He added, “We are not there yet, we’ll keep working on it until we decide that we ultimately can’t make any more progress.”

By Vafa Guliyeva