Vance says US thinks Russia's asking too much to end war
dpa
Washington
The US government currently considers Russia's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine to be excessive, Vice President JD Vance told a Washington event on Wednesday hosted by the Munich Security Conference.
'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,' Vance said.
At the same time, he emphasized the importance of understanding the Kremlin's perspective.
'You don't have to agree with the Russian justification for the war, and certainly, both the president and I have criticized the full scale invasion, but you have to try to understand where the other side is coming from,' he said.
Vance added that he would not claim that the Russian side is uninterested in finding a solution, but noted there is currently a significant gap between Ukraine and Russia.
The goal, he said, must be to bridge this divide through dialogue.
The United States is 'happy to participate in those conversations,' he said.
But he stressed that 'it's very important for the Russians and the Ukrainians to start talking to one another.' Without at least some
direct discussions between the two sides, Vance said it would be 'probably impossible' for the United States to mediate.
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