According to the US Vice President, Washington is shifting its focus away from prioritizing a 30-day ceasefire advocated by Ukraine.
US Vice President J.D. Vance has voiced skepticism about a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. He stated that the US is now prioritizing the establishment of a lasting peace agreement with Moscow.
Ukraine had proposed a month-long ceasefire as a response to Russia’s offer of a 72-hour truce to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.
However, Moscow rejected Kiev’s proposal, claiming that Ukrainian forces, which have been retreating for several months, would use the ceasefire to reorganize and strengthen their military capabilities.
During the Munich Leaders Meeting on Wednesday, Vance emphasized that the US remains focused on a “long-term settlement” of the conflict rather than a short-term solution. “We’ve tried to move beyond the obsession with the 30-day ceasefire and more on the what would the long-term settlement look like? And we’ve tried to consistently advance the ball,” the vice president stated.
Vance also mentioned that the US considered Russia’s initial negotiation proposals to be excessive. “Certainly, the first peace offer that the Russians put on the table, our reaction to it was you’re asking for too much,” he said. “But this is how negotiations unfold.”
Vance added that US President Donald Trump is prepared to halt negotiations if no progress is made, urging both Moscow and Kiev to engage in diplomatic talks. “We would like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another.”
Russia has consistently stated its willingness to negotiate with Kiev but has questioned Ukraine’s reliability, particularly regarding adherence to ceasefire agreements. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused Ukraine of undermining previous efforts, including a US-brokered 30-day suspension of attacks on energy infrastructure and a Moscow-backed Easter truce.
She further noted that Russia would monitor Ukraine’s behavior during the 72-hour Victory Day ceasefire, which began on Thursday, as a test of its sincerity. Moscow had previously described the initiative as a humanitarian gesture aimed at facilitating direct peace talks with Ukraine without preconditions.
Meanwhile, Trump seemed to support the three-day ceasefire, saying that it “doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a lot, if you know where we started from.”
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