Vice President J.D. Vance on Wednesday said Russia remains an obstacle to ending its war with Ukraine because it is “asking for too much,” marking a shift in the Trump administration’s rhetoric toward Moscow as a peace deal remains elusive.
Mr. Vance emphasized that Moscow must make concessions for a peace deal, a signal that the administration is increasing its pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to give up some of his demands to stop the conflict, which has raged for more than three years.
“The Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much,” Mr. Vance said during the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington.
Mr. Vance said the U.S. is pushing for a long-term peace agreement as Russia rejects the administration’s call for a 30-day ceasefire. Moscow argues that a pause would let Ukraine regroup, undermining Russia’s strategic interests.
The vice president said the next step in the peace process is to get Ukraine and Russia to sit down and negotiate.
“We would like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another,” he said. “That is the next big step we’d like to take.”
Mr. Vance’s comments are the latest sign that the Trump administration has toughened its rhetoric toward Mr. Putin following months of courting him into agreeing to a peace deal.
In recent weeks, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have worked to persuade Mr. Trump to ease up on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and focus on pressuring Mr. Putin. The two European leaders told Mr. Trump that his softer stance toward Mr. Putin undermined his credibility as a negotiator, according to reports in European news outlets.
Mr. Putin had agreed to a 30-day pause on attacking energy infrastructure in Ukraine during a March 18 call with Mr. Trump. However, Ukraine has alleged that Moscow violated the ceasefire more than 30 times.
Last month, after Russia launched 215 missiles and drones across Ukraine, killing at least 12 civilians and injuring 87 in Kyiv, Mr. Trump unleashed his frustrations on social media. He called the attack “not necessary” and “very bad timing,” plus wrote, “Vladimir, Stop!”
U.S. officials have intensified efforts to secure a ceasefire, warning they may withdraw from mediation if no progress is made soon.
