Vance: War in Ukraine won't end soon after US mineral deal

Vance: War in Ukraine won't end soon after US mineral deal

US Vice President JD Vance recently commented on the conflict in Ukraine, noting that the war “will not end anytime soon.” This came just hours after the signing of an important minerals agreement between Washington and Kiev, which aims, among other things, at peace in Ukraine.

War developments and peace talks

Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Vance toned down the optimistic statements from the White House. He also emphasized that US President Donald Trump had achieved a “really big breakthrough” in the peace process. "It is up to them (Ukraine and Russia) to reach an agreement and end this brutal conflict. It will not just disappear," Vance said.

Criticism of the current situation

"Of course the Ukrainians are angry because they were attacked. But will we really continue to lose thousands of soldiers just to defend a few square kilometers of land? I hope both sides come to their senses," the vice president continued.

Trump's role and attempts at agreement

Trump noted just last week that Russia and Ukraine were "very close to a deal" after his special envoy Steve Witkoff spoke for three hours with Putin at the Kremlin. Talks to end the war, which Trump had previously promised within 24 hours of taking office, have largely stalled, despite several high-level meetings and at least two direct phone calls between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow and the ceasefire

Moscow continues to refuse to agree to the US-proposed 30-day ceasefire agreement, which Ukraine has also agreed to. The Kremlin is also calling for the Ukrainian territories acquired by force to be recognized as part of Russia, which would upend international laws. Meanwhile, Russia continues its brutal aggression against Ukraine, bombing cities hundreds of miles from the front lines on an almost daily basis.

The value of conversations

Vance explained that the mere fact that talks are taking place represents a victory. "I really don't think any person - of the 8 billion people in the world - could have made this deal happen except Donald J. Trump. When I talk about this deal, I mean getting these two sides to a serious peace agreement," the vice president continued.

Putin's unilateral ceasefire

Earlier this week, Putin announced a unilateral three-day ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8 to 11. As a result, the Trump administration and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated calls for a lasting peace. Meanwhile, the Trump administration oscillates between blaming Moscow and Kiev for the lack of progress.

Zelenskyj's controversial statements

Last week, Trump criticized Zelensky for his comments that Ukraine would not recognize Russian control over Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. Trump called those comments "very damaging to the peace negotiations with Russia," adding, "Such inflammatory statements make it so difficult to end this war. The situation for Ukraine is serious - he can have peace or he can keep fighting for three years before losing the whole country."

Developments surrounding the peace talks

On Saturday, after speaking with Zelensky at Pope Francis' funeral, Trump questioned whether Putin "maybe... doesn't want the war to end." The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to walk away from the talks. Most recently, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump may have to reevaluate his efforts to reach a peace agreement if no progress is seen in the next few days.

CNN's Kaanita Iyer and Kostya Gak contributed to this article.