JD Vance says it’s ‘fantasy’ to assume Russia might be overwhelmed – as Ukraine and US to satisfy in Switzerland to debate Trump’s plan to finish warfare and Putin indicators he’ll settle for
US Vice President JD Vance has hit back at criticism of the latest Ukraine peace plan by arguing that it is a ‘fantasy’ to believe more weapons and sanctions would defeat Russia.
He said peace ‘won’t be made by failed diplomats or politicians living in a fantasy land’ but by ‘smart people living in the real world’.
With the situation on a knife-edge, Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders – who had appeared blindsided by the proposals – began discussing alternatives on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Under the humiliating 28-point White House-Kremlin plan, Ukraine would cede territory its troops have defended since February 2022, slash the size of its military and sacrifice its sovereignty.
In return, sanctions against Russia would be lifted and, crucially for Vladimir Putin, the country would be ‘reintegrated into the global economy’.
A Ukrainian delegation will soon head to Switzerland to discuss the proposal with US representatives, according to Rustem Umerov, a former defense minister who led Ukrainian negotiators in past failed talks with Russia.
‘In the coming days in Switzerland we are launching consultations between senior officials of Ukraine and the United States on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement,’ Umerov wrote on social media.
‘This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps,’ added Umerov, a former defence minister, who is now the Secretary of the Security Council.
He previously led a few rounds of negotiations with Russia in Turkey, which yielded no breakthrough. This time, Zelensky appointed his top aide, Andriy Yermak, to lead the team, according to a presidential decree.
The decree said the talks will also include ‘representatives of the Russian Federation.’ There was no immediate confirmation from Russia whether it would join the talks.
Trump meets with Russian President during their meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, in August this year
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky his wife Olena Zelenska (centre left) visit the Holodomor Genocide complex of the National Museum in Kyiv to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor on Saturday
US officials have told Nato allies they expect to push president Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky into agreeing the deal under the threat that if Kyiv does not sign, it will face a much worse deal in future.
Briefing ambassadors from Nato nations, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said: ‘No deal is perfect, but it must be done sooner rather than later.’
Donald Trump has told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that he has until Thursday to make up his mind, although there are signs there may be room for manoeuvre.
Mr Vance insisted the US administration’s approach is rooted in pragmatic diplomacy rather than unrealistic expectations.
He said: ‘Every criticism of the peace framework the administration is working on either misunderstands the framework or misstates some critical reality on the ground.
‘There is a fantasy that if we just give more money, more weapons, or more sanctions, victory is at hand.’
Mr Zelensky said he would work around the clock to find a path but insisted he would not betray his country.
If he accepts the deal, Ukraine would have to cede to Russia all the lands that Moscow has declared for itself in Donetsk and Luhansk. These would then be recognised by the US as Russian territory.
No NATO forces could be based inside Ukraine. And the Ukrainian military would be cut by a quarter to 600,000 troops and barred from possessing long-range weapons that could reach Russia.
JD Vance (pictured) hit back at criticism of the latest Ukraine peace plan by arguing that it is a ‘fantasy’ to believe more weapons and sanctions would defeat Russia
(L-R) European Council President Antonio Costa, Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb at the G20 summit in Johannesburg today
Western nations are scrambling to respond to the proposals that appeared to catch them off guard.
Sir Keir Starmer and Ukraine’s allies said they hoped to ‘strengthen’ the plan to end the war.
Ahead of the talks, Sir Keir said: ‘Ukraine’s friends and partners will meet in the margins of the G20 summit to discuss how we can secure a full ceasefire and create the space for meaningful peace negotiations.
‘We will discuss the current proposal on the table, and in support of President Trump’s push for peace, look at how we can strengthen this plan for the next phase of negotiations.’
He added that there ‘is only one country around the G20 table that is not calling for a ceasefire’ as he condemned Moscow for sending nearly 1,000 drones and 54 precision guided missiles in the past week alone.
‘Ukraine has been ready to negotiate for months, while Russia has stalled and continued its murderous rampage.
‘That is why we must all work together, with both the US and Ukraine, to secure a just and lasting peace once and for all.
‘We will continue to co-ordinate closely with Washington and Kyiv to achieve that.’
Sir Keir is understood to have ruled out flying to Washington next week though European leaders including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni are considering visiting Mr Trump.
Mr Putin, who like Mr Trump is not attending the gathering of the world’s leading economies, has cautiously welcomed the US proposal, saying it ‘could form the basis of a final peace settlement’.
With Ukraine facing one of the most ‘difficult moments’ in its history, Mr Zelensky said it faced a choice between ‘losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner’
It followed his 40-minute call with Sir Keir, Mr Macron and Mr Merz, in which the European leaders emphasised that Ukraine ‘must determine its future under its sovereignty’.
The Prime Minister said they had emphasised to Mr Zelensky their support for Ukraine and the ‘fundamental principle’ that Kyiv should be in charge of its own destiny.Asked what it meant to ‘strengthen’ Washington’s plans, Downing Street declined to ‘get ahead of those discussions’ but denied they were viewed as weak by friends of Kyiv.
Pressed on whether Britain had been cut out of Mr Trump’s peace negotiations, Sir Keir’s spokesman said he did not ‘accept that at all’ as he stressed the ‘excellent relationship’ between the US and UK leaders.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Brussels: ‘Russia’s war against Ukraine is an existential threat to Europe. We all want this war to end. But how it ends matters. Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded. Ultimately, the terms of any agreement are for Ukraine to decide.’
Meanwhile the Polish prime minister has insisted that a peace settlement cannot be imposed on Ukraine.
Karol Nawrocki said: ‘It was Ukraine that fell victim to Putin’s criminal aggression, and it is Ukrainians, with the support of the United States and EU countries, who must have the decisive voice in peace talks.
‘The price of peace cannot in any way be the achievement of strategic goals by the aggressor, and the aggressor was and remains the Russian Federation.’
