Vice President JD Vance Says Russia Has Offered ‘Significant Concessions’ in Ukraine Peace Talks

U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said Russia has made “significant concessions” toward a possible negotiated settlement in its war with Ukraine, raising cautious optimism about progress despite no clear indication that the conflict is close to ending.

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker on Sunday, Vance explained that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shifted his position for the first time since the invasion began in February 2022. According to Vance, Moscow has accepted that Ukraine will receive security guarantees to protect against future Russian aggression.

“I think the Russians have made significant concessions to President Trump for the first time in three and a half years of this conflict,” Vance said. “They’ve recognized that they’re not going to be able to install a puppet regime in Kyiv. That was, of course, a major demand at the beginning. And importantly, they’ve acknowledged that there is going to be some security guarantee to the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has killed tens of thousands of people and devastated entire regions since the war erupted in February 2022. Now, as part of a possible settlement, Putin is reportedly demanding that Ukraine cede the entire eastern Donbas region, abandon its bid to join NATO, adopt a neutral stance, and prevent Western troops from being stationed in the country.

While the concessions signal a shift in Moscow’s demands, both sides remain far apart on critical issues, leaving the path to a final peace agreement uncertain.