Vice President JD Vance acknowledged Thursday that Russia and Ukraine remain sharply divided over the terms of a possible peace agreement, warning that significant obstacles continue to stand in the way of President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring the war to an end.

Although both Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to return to negotiations, Vance said the two countries remain far apart on fundamental questions, including territorial control and the conditions necessary for a lasting settlement. His remarks came as American diplomats continued working to arrange another round of discussions next month.

Speaking during an interview with Forbes, Vance was challenged over the prospects for renewed diplomacy, particularly given Ukraine’s repeated willingness to participate in negotiations and Russia’s reluctance to accept previous proposals.

“I think both countries have agreed to come to the negotiating table. The reason we have not yet reached a peace agreement is that they are simply too far apart on the details of those negotiations,” Vance said.

The vice president emphasized that the administration remains committed to pursuing a negotiated resolution, despite the considerable differences separating the two sides and the repeated setbacks that have complicated previous diplomatic initiatives.

Vance pointed to the efforts of Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, who has recently held discussions with senior Russian and Ukrainian officials in an attempt to identify possible areas of compromise.

According to Vance, Witkoff has remained encouraged by his latest contacts, even as the administration recognizes that reaching an agreement will likely require continued negotiations and additional diplomatic efforts.

“He is optimistic. The nature of these things is that you make an attempt, see how far you can get, and then come back to it again. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” Vance said.

The vice president praised Witkoff and the broader American negotiating team for continuing to pursue an agreement despite the difficulties involved in reconciling the competing demands of Moscow and Kyiv.

His comments followed an announcement Wednesday by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who indicated that Russia was prepared to participate in another round of three-way negotiations involving Russian, Ukrainian, and American representatives.

Ushakov suggested that the discussions could be held in the United Arab Emirates between November 10 and November 19, potentially providing a new opportunity for the Trump administration to advance its diplomatic initiative.

Witkoff has also described his recent meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg as constructive. He indicated that further discussions would take place among officials responsible for working through the technical details of a possible agreement.

Despite those developments, substantial disagreements remain over the future of Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russian forces, the security arrangements that would accompany any ceasefire, and the broader conditions governing a permanent settlement.

The territorial dispute remains among the most difficult issues confronting negotiators, with the two governments holding fundamentally different positions concerning the future of areas under Russian control.

Questions surrounding security guarantees for Ukraine have presented another major obstacle. Any agreement would need to address Kyiv’s concerns about preventing renewed Russian military action while also confronting Moscow’s objections to certain Western security arrangements.

The Trump administration has repeatedly sought to establish a diplomatic framework capable of ending the fighting, but successive initiatives have failed to produce either a comprehensive peace agreement or a major, lasting ceasefire.

Meanwhile, military operations have continued despite the diplomatic activity.

Russian forces have maintained attacks against Ukrainian population centers and civilian infrastructure, contributing to further destruction and placing additional pressure on Ukraine’s energy and transportation systems.

Ukraine, in turn, has intensified operations against Russian energy installations, including oil refineries and facilities connected to Moscow’s military supply network. Those attacks are intended to disrupt resources that help sustain Russia’s war effort.

The continuing hostilities have complicated the diplomatic environment, with each side seeking to improve its position while negotiations remain unresolved.

Vance’s assessment underscored the gap between securing agreement to hold talks and obtaining the concessions necessary to end the conflict. Although the administration views the willingness of both governments to participate in negotiations as a positive development, the vice president made clear that the central disputes remain unsettled.

The proposed November meetings could provide another opportunity to narrow those differences, but there has been no indication that either Moscow or Kyiv is prepared to make the major compromises required for a final agreement.

For Trump, who has made ending the Russia-Ukraine war a central foreign-policy objective, the challenge remains translating renewed diplomatic engagement into an arrangement acceptable to both governments.

With fighting continuing and the most contentious issues still unresolved, Vance’s remarks suggest that Washington expects the negotiating process to continue, even as the prospect of a near-term peace agreement remains uncertain.

{Matzav.com}