US Vice President JD Vance acknowledged in an interview with Fox News that the war in Ukraine is unlikely to conclude in the near future. The primary concern for the United States is figuring out how to assist both Russia and Ukraine in finding common ground to end the conflict, which has been ongoing for over three years. However, Vance emphasized that it is ultimately up to Russia and Ukraine to reach an agreement and put an end to the violent conflict.
Vance’s remarks come shortly after the United States and Ukraine reached an agreement for the US to provide security assistance to Ukraine in exchange for a share of the profits from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.
In the same interview, Vance defended Donald Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine, acknowledging the anger felt by Ukrainians regarding the invasion. However, Vance questioned whether there should be a continued loss of thousands of soldiers over disputes regarding a few miles of territory.
Trump had previously suggested that Ukraine might be willing to give up Crimea, which Russia had invaded in 2014, as part of a truce settlement. However, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had stated that he would be unable to accept Russian control over Crimea, citing the Ukrainian constitution.
During a separate interview with Fox News on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the need for a breakthrough in the conflict soon, as Trump will eventually have to decide how much time to dedicate to it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a temporary three-day ceasefire to coincide with anniversary celebrations marking the end of World War II. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, responded by calling for an immediate 30-day ceasefire. Despite the calls for ceasefire, fighting between the two countries has continued.
On Thursday night, a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia injured 14 people but resulted in no deaths. Moscow accused Ukraine of using drones to target a market in Russia-controlled southern Ukraine on the same day, resulting in seven deaths and over 20 injuries. Kyiv denied these accusations, claiming that the attack was aimed at military personnel.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkx3jgyvyzo
