Kiev could ultimately decide to give up some territories it claims in exchange for peace, Donald Trump’s pick for vice president J.D. Vance has suggested, adding that both Russia and Ukraine have been “exhausted” by the ongoing conflict.
Vance made the remarks on Thursday on News Nation’s town hall to discuss issues such as abortion, migration, and housing. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine was also part of the discussion with Vance pointing towards a possible resolution.
“They’re both struggling to find men, because primarily men are in those countries that are fighting the war. But they’re struggling to find women, too. They’re struggling to get the equipment necessary to send to the front lines. Their economies are exhausted. Whole parts of their country have been destroyed,” Vance claimed.
In order to end the hostilities, Vance suggested, both Moscow and Kiev would have to make certain concessions. Asked whether he believed Ukraine would end up in a situation where it has to cede some lands to Russia, he suggested it could ultimately become a decision Kiev would have to make.
“When you talk to… Ukrainian leaders, especially in private but even in public, they’re starting to say this now. They’re saying this can’t go on forever. They don’t have the manpower, they don’t have the equipment, they don’t have the money. And so, I think ultimately… Ukraine is going to have to make that decision,” he stated.
Russia would also have to “make the decision about what it will do to stop the fighting,” Vance noted, without elaborating. While one does not necessarily have to “like Russia,” it is necessary to bring Kiev and Moscow together and “engage in some real diplomacy.”
Kiev has repeatedly refused to take part in any meaningful negotiations, with Ukraine’s leader Vladimir Zelensky explicitly prohibiting himself from taking part in such talks. Moscow, however, has repeatedly signaled readiness to negotiate to bring the conflict to its conclusion.
Regaining control over all the territory Ukraine ended up with after the collapse of the Soviet Union has seemingly been the key objective for Kiev, with the country’s leadership repeatedly proclaiming that as its ultimate goal. Moscow, however, regards the five formerly Ukrainian regions, including Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, as integral parts of its territory, and has been demanding that Kiev pull its troops from the areas it controls in them, in order to kickstart the negotiations process.