Photo: Daniel Torok/wikipedia.org/
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said that Washington expects the Ukrainian leadership to address President Donald Trump privately to discuss a peaceful settlement rather than make public statements. He said this on 4 March on the sidelines of the US House of Representatives Defence Committee, Voice of America reports.
“Many people are talking about public statements, as if Zelenskyy should say something or apologise to Trump. But for us, it’s not the words that matter, it’s the concrete steps Ukrainians take to demonstrate their willingness to participate in the peace process,” Vance said.
He clarified that the US is waiting for a private initiative from Kyiv:
“We need Ukrainians to come and say: ‘Here are our needs, here are our conditions, and here is how we see the way to end the conflict’. It is the absence of such conversations that worries us the most.”
Regarding further US actions, Vance stressed that the Trump administration believes in putting pressure on all sides of the war to end hostilities:
“It’s the president’s policy, and it’s in the interests of the American people.”
The vice president also linked the suspension of military aid to Ukraine to the US desire to intensify the negotiation process.
“Trump has clearly outlined our position: we want to see Ukraine sovereign and independent, but the war cannot go on forever. It’s time to sit down at the negotiating table. And the president is trying to send a clear message – Kyiv must start a dialogue with Washington to find a way to peace,” Vance concluded.
