During a very turbulent day in which the Trump administration saw its plans to end the war in Ukraine sputter, Vice President JD Vance said Kyiv would have to give up territory now held by Russia in any such deal. He also said Ukraine would have to accept the annexation of Crimea by Russia and a prohibition on joining the NATO alliance.
“It was the first time a U.S. official had publicly laid out a plan to end the war that favors Russia in such stark terms,” The New York Times reported.
“The current lines, or somewhere close to them, is where you’re ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict,” Vance told reporters in India. “Now, of course, that means the Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own.”
Vance did not specify what territory in Ukraine would be given up by Russia, which currently occupies about 20 of it. Under those terms, Ukraine would have to surrender huge swaths of land. Vance also said both sides need to come to the table or the U.S. would “walk away” from further negotiations.
Hellbound and Down 