Vance says Ukraine-Russia peace deal would leave both sides 'unhappy'
He said the US was aiming for a settlement both countries could accept.
"It's not going to make anybody super happy. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians, probably, at the end of the day, are going to be unhappy with it," he said on Fox News.
US President Donald Trump, who for weeks had been threatening new sanctions against Russia for failing to halt the war, announced on Friday he would meet Mr Putin on August 15 in Alaska to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
Mr Trump said Russia and Ukraine were close to a ceasefire deal that could end the three-and-a-half-year conflict, possibly requiring Ukraine to surrender significant territory.
A White House official said Mr Trump was open to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attending but preparations were underway for only a bilateral meeting.
Russian strikes injured at least 12 in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, the country's foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday.
"That is why sanctions are needed, pressure is needed," Mr Zelenskyy said after the strike.
The Kremlin leader last week ruled out meeting Mr Zelenskyy, saying conditions for such an encounter were "unfortunately still far" from being met.
Mr Trump said a potential deal would involve "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both [sides]", compounding Ukrainian fears that it may face pressure to surrender land.
Mr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine cannot violate its constitution on territorial issues, adding, "Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupiers."
In the Fox News interview recorded on Friday, Mr Vance said the United States was working to schedule talks between Mr Putin, Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump, but he did not think it would be productive for Mr Putin to meet with Mr Zelenskyy before speaking with Mr Trump.
On Saturday the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said any diplomatic solution must protect the security interests of Ukraine and Europe.
"The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday.
"Any deal between the US and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included, for it is a matter of Ukraine's and the whole of Europe's security."
EU foreign ministers will meet on Monday to discuss next steps, she said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told US network ABC News that Friday's summit "will be about testing Putin, how serious he is on bringing this terrible war to an end".
He added: "It will be, of course, about security guarantees, but also about the absolute need to acknowledge that Ukraine decides on its own future, that Ukraine has to be a sovereign nation, deciding on its own geopolitical future."
Russia holds nearly a fifth of the country.
Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
21 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Not married to one solution': Trump won't criticise Albanese's Palestine state call
Washington: The White House has declined to criticise Australia's announcement that it will recognise a Palestinian state, saying President Donald Trump was 'not married to any one solution' on the Israel-Palestine conflict. While Trump has mocked the significance of France recognising Palestine, and insinuated on TruthSocial that Canada making the same move could impact trade talks, he has stayed silent since Canberra's announcement. The White House also rebuffed numerous requests for comment ahead of Australia's decision, pointing only to Trump's public remarks about other countries. But on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), when asked specifically about Australia's move to recognise Palestine, a White House official indicated that while Trump was not going to recognise Palestine himself, he had an open mind on the issue. 'As the President stated, he would be rewarding Hamas if he recognises a Palestinian state, and he doesn't think they should be rewarded. So he is not going to do that,' the official said. Loading 'However, the President is not married to any one solution as it pertains to building a more peaceful region.' However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued to say it was meaningless for other countries to recognise the territory as a sovereign state, arguing governments were choosing to do so now due to domestic political considerations. Asked by New York radio personality Sid Rosenberg about the moves by Australia, Ireland and others, Rubio said: 'It's symbolic, and they're doing it primarily for one reason, and that is their internal politics, their domestic politics.
The Age
21 minutes ago
- The Age
‘Not married to one solution': Trump won't criticise Albanese's Palestine state call
Washington: The White House has declined to criticise Australia's announcement that it will recognise a Palestinian state, saying President Donald Trump was 'not married to any one solution' on the Israel-Palestine conflict. While Trump has mocked the significance of France recognising Palestine, and insinuated on TruthSocial that Canada making the same move could impact trade talks, he has stayed silent since Canberra's announcement. The White House also rebuffed numerous requests for comment ahead of Australia's decision, pointing only to Trump's public remarks about other countries. But on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), when asked specifically about Australia's move to recognise Palestine, a White House official indicated that while Trump was not going to recognise Palestine himself, he had an open mind on the issue. 'As the President stated, he would be rewarding Hamas if he recognises a Palestinian state, and he doesn't think they should be rewarded. So he is not going to do that,' the official said. Loading 'However, the President is not married to any one solution as it pertains to building a more peaceful region.' However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued to say it was meaningless for other countries to recognise the territory as a sovereign state, arguing governments were choosing to do so now due to domestic political considerations. Asked by New York radio personality Sid Rosenberg about the moves by Australia, Ireland and others, Rubio said: 'It's symbolic, and they're doing it primarily for one reason, and that is their internal politics, their domestic politics.
The Advertiser
21 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Trump-Putin meeting a listening exercise: White House
An Alaskan summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "is a listening exercise for the president," the White House says, tempering expectations for a quick Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal. "Only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present, and so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said about the meeting scheduled for Friday. "This is a listening exercise for the president." Trump will meet one-on-one with Putin during the talks, which will take place in Anchorage, Alaska, the White House said. He may, in the future, also visit Russia. "Perhaps there are plans in the future to travel to Russia," Leavitt said. Key issues remain ahead of the talks. Trump has said the two sides will need to cede land to end the bloody three and a half-year-old conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said his country's constitution prohibits such a deal and that no arrangements can be made without Ukraine's participation in talks. The White House declined to comment on conversations taking place prior to the Putin meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy. Trump said on Monday that Zelenskiy may be invited to a future meeting with Putin. "The president has deep respect for all parties that are involved in this conflict and are trying to bring this conflict to an end," Leavitt said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had consulted ahead of the summit, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow and US officials said on Tuesday. Lavrov and Rubio expressed their hopes that the details discussed would be successful, the ministry said. The brief statement about the phone call did not provide further specifics. Trump presents the meeting in Alaska as an attempt to move closer to ending the fighting in Ukraine. In this context, he spoke of a possible exchange of territories between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky said on Tuesday Ukraine will not relinquish the eastern part of the country occupied and controlled by Russia. He stressed in a conversation with reporters that the country could not and would not give up Donbass, largely made up of the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. "Donbass would be a springboard for the Russians for a new, future attack," he said. with DPA An Alaskan summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "is a listening exercise for the president," the White House says, tempering expectations for a quick Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal. "Only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present, and so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said about the meeting scheduled for Friday. "This is a listening exercise for the president." Trump will meet one-on-one with Putin during the talks, which will take place in Anchorage, Alaska, the White House said. He may, in the future, also visit Russia. "Perhaps there are plans in the future to travel to Russia," Leavitt said. Key issues remain ahead of the talks. Trump has said the two sides will need to cede land to end the bloody three and a half-year-old conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said his country's constitution prohibits such a deal and that no arrangements can be made without Ukraine's participation in talks. The White House declined to comment on conversations taking place prior to the Putin meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy. Trump said on Monday that Zelenskiy may be invited to a future meeting with Putin. "The president has deep respect for all parties that are involved in this conflict and are trying to bring this conflict to an end," Leavitt said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had consulted ahead of the summit, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow and US officials said on Tuesday. Lavrov and Rubio expressed their hopes that the details discussed would be successful, the ministry said. The brief statement about the phone call did not provide further specifics. Trump presents the meeting in Alaska as an attempt to move closer to ending the fighting in Ukraine. In this context, he spoke of a possible exchange of territories between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky said on Tuesday Ukraine will not relinquish the eastern part of the country occupied and controlled by Russia. He stressed in a conversation with reporters that the country could not and would not give up Donbass, largely made up of the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. "Donbass would be a springboard for the Russians for a new, future attack," he said. with DPA An Alaskan summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "is a listening exercise for the president," the White House says, tempering expectations for a quick Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal. "Only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present, and so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said about the meeting scheduled for Friday. "This is a listening exercise for the president." Trump will meet one-on-one with Putin during the talks, which will take place in Anchorage, Alaska, the White House said. He may, in the future, also visit Russia. "Perhaps there are plans in the future to travel to Russia," Leavitt said. Key issues remain ahead of the talks. Trump has said the two sides will need to cede land to end the bloody three and a half-year-old conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said his country's constitution prohibits such a deal and that no arrangements can be made without Ukraine's participation in talks. The White House declined to comment on conversations taking place prior to the Putin meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy. Trump said on Monday that Zelenskiy may be invited to a future meeting with Putin. "The president has deep respect for all parties that are involved in this conflict and are trying to bring this conflict to an end," Leavitt said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had consulted ahead of the summit, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow and US officials said on Tuesday. Lavrov and Rubio expressed their hopes that the details discussed would be successful, the ministry said. The brief statement about the phone call did not provide further specifics. Trump presents the meeting in Alaska as an attempt to move closer to ending the fighting in Ukraine. In this context, he spoke of a possible exchange of territories between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky said on Tuesday Ukraine will not relinquish the eastern part of the country occupied and controlled by Russia. He stressed in a conversation with reporters that the country could not and would not give up Donbass, largely made up of the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. "Donbass would be a springboard for the Russians for a new, future attack," he said. with DPA An Alaskan summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "is a listening exercise for the president," the White House says, tempering expectations for a quick Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal. "Only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present, and so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said about the meeting scheduled for Friday. "This is a listening exercise for the president." Trump will meet one-on-one with Putin during the talks, which will take place in Anchorage, Alaska, the White House said. He may, in the future, also visit Russia. "Perhaps there are plans in the future to travel to Russia," Leavitt said. Key issues remain ahead of the talks. Trump has said the two sides will need to cede land to end the bloody three and a half-year-old conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said his country's constitution prohibits such a deal and that no arrangements can be made without Ukraine's participation in talks. The White House declined to comment on conversations taking place prior to the Putin meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy. Trump said on Monday that Zelenskiy may be invited to a future meeting with Putin. "The president has deep respect for all parties that are involved in this conflict and are trying to bring this conflict to an end," Leavitt said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had consulted ahead of the summit, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow and US officials said on Tuesday. Lavrov and Rubio expressed their hopes that the details discussed would be successful, the ministry said. The brief statement about the phone call did not provide further specifics. Trump presents the meeting in Alaska as an attempt to move closer to ending the fighting in Ukraine. In this context, he spoke of a possible exchange of territories between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky said on Tuesday Ukraine will not relinquish the eastern part of the country occupied and controlled by Russia. He stressed in a conversation with reporters that the country could not and would not give up Donbass, largely made up of the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. "Donbass would be a springboard for the Russians for a new, future attack," he said. with DPA
