US vice president JD Vanceon Wednesday said Russia was “asking for too much” in return for ending its 38-month invasion of Ukraine, in one of the Trump administration’s strongest condemnations of Moscow to day. His comment came during a side event hosted by organisers of theMunich Security Conference. ” I wouldn’t suggest the Russians are disinterested in bringing this issue to a resolution”, Vance told visitors. ” What I do say is, right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of criteria, a certain set of agreements in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for very much”.
Vance clarified that the management wants both Ukraine and Russia to engage in direct discussions, as the US cannot resolve only. ” We think it’s perhaps impossible for us to resolve this entirely without at least some clear dialogue between the two”, he said. He further said that the US is focusing on helping the two factors agree to “basic rules” to begin formal talks. Although the Trump presidency has often expressed anger with both factions in the battle, Vance’s speech marks a significant shift in tone toward Moscow. He even defended the government’s approach as” proper realism”, aiming to understand both ideas — a position that has drawn criticism from European allies afraid of legitimising Russian says. Russia’s requirements include Ukraine abandoning its Nato interests, accepting the annexation of Crimea and occupied lands, and constitutional protections for the Russian language. Ukraine, led by president Volodymyr Zelensky, continues to push for strong security guarantees from northern friends.
