US Vice President J.D. Vance said in an interview with the “Wall Street Journal“ that Washington could impose sanctions and even use military means against Russia if President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a peace agreement that guarantees Ukraine's long-term independence. This was reported by Reuters, BTA reports.
“There are economic means of influence, as well as military ones, that the United States could use against Putin“, Vance said in the interview published on Thursday.
He emphasizes that President Donald Trump may reconsider his position depending on Russia's behavior:
“President Trump may say – "Look, we don't want this, we may not like it, but we are willing to consider it again as an option if the Russians are not good negotiating partners," Vance explained.
According to him, Washington's main priority is to ensure "sovereign independence" for Ukraine, although the format of a possible peace agreement remains open.
Talks to end the war
On Wednesday, President Trump held separate phone calls with Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He then instructed US officials to begin negotiations to end the three-year conflict.
“I think there will be a deal that will shock a lot of people,“ Vance told the “Wall Street Journal“.
The vice president stressed that the US position could change depending on how the talks progress.
The phone calls between Trump, Putin and Zelensky followed a statement by US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegsett in Brussels. He said it was unrealistic for Ukraine to restore its borders to the ones it had before 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, and that the US was not considering Ukraine's membership in NATO as part of a possible solution.