US Vice President Vance: Russians and Ukrainians are not yet "at the stage where they can make a deal"
Kyiv • UNN
US Vice President J.D. Vance stated on October 16 that Russia and Ukraine are currently not ready to conclude an agreement, despite diplomatic efforts. He noted that a settlement is still possible but requires significant work, and that tariffs are more effective than sanctions in influencing Russia.
Russia and Ukraine are "not at the stage where they can reach an agreement," US Vice President J.D. Vance said in an interview with Newsmax on October 16, UNN writes.
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"No matter how energetic the diplomacy of the President of the United States could get people to the brink, ultimately, it takes two sides willing to make a deal," the US Vice President noted.
"And right now, for all of our work, and we're going to continue to work on it, the Russians and Ukrainians are just not at the stage where they can make a deal," Vance said.
However, Vance noted that he believes a settlement is still possible, but it will require "a lot more work."
"I think there's a fundamental mismatch of expectations where the Russians tend to think they're doing better on the battlefield than they actually are," he said.
And that has made it difficult to reach an agreement over the past few months, Vance said, even though there has been progress.
Vance credited US President Donald Trump's approach to foreign policy, which pushed negotiations further than they had been under previous administrations.
"You know, I think what actually works in both cases is the Trump approach to diplomacy, which is energetic, which empowers his people on the ground, which actually encourages them to make a deal and is willing to explore some unconventional means to make it," he said.
Vance noted that there has been progress on the issue of the war that would not have happened without Trump.
"It turned out, as the president said, I think it surprised all of us, including the president, that this is a particularly tough nut to crack," he noted.
Turning to the use of economic tools, Vance said the administration has found that tariffs are more effective than sanctions in influencing Russia's behavior. "You have to separate sanctions from tariffs," Vance said.
"Tariffs have been quite effective as a negotiating tool with the Russians," Vance continued, "But sanctions have been tried for decades in this particular region of the world and around the world, and I don't think they actually work particularly well."
In some cases, sanctions can do significant damage to the United States economy without achieving the desired result, the US Vice President said. "The president has been very prudent," he continued. "He, you know, doesn't apply blanket sanctions."
Vance said Trump also worked directly with major trading nations to limit Russia's energy revenues.
"In the case of Russia, of course, the main driver of their economy is the oil they sell to India and China," he said.
"So he worked with both India and China to try to cut oil sales, and again, to put some pressure on the parties in the region to achieve peace," Vance said, adding that Trump "will continue to work aggressively on this."
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He admitted that the process has tested the patience of administration members, including himself and Trump.
"Yes, sometimes it's annoying," Vance said. "Yes, [Trump] sometimes gets impatient with everyone involved."
Nevertheless, "as long as he continues to work on it, I think the president has great confidence that he can reach a deal," Vance said.
"I think he will. It's just a matter of how long it takes," Vance noted.
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