Progress is made in Ukraine peace talks, but outcome is uncertain, Vance says

US Vice President JD Vance has said that progress has been made in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, but there is no certainty a settlement will be reached.

Source: Vance in an interview with UnHerd released on 22 December, cited by European Pravda

Details: Vance said the talks have been complicated by challenges on all three sides involved: Ukrainians, Russians and Europeans. He called it a "breakthrough" that "all of the issues are actually out in the open", whereas initially there was "a little bit of a game of obfuscation".

He then listed what he described as the most contentious issues in the negotiations, with territory the key point.

Quote: "The Russians really want territorial control of Donetsk [Oblast]. The Ukrainians understandably see that as a major security problem, [even as] they privately acknowledge that eventually, they'll probably lose Donetsk [Oblast] – but, you know, eventually: it could be 12 months from now, it could be longer than that. So that territorial concession is a significant hold-up in the negotiations – that terrible territorial concession, I should say."

More details: Vance also added that there are "somewhat more minor issues".

Quote: "Who controls the [Zaporizhzhia] nuclear facility? Can it be jointly controlled? Does it need to be controlled by one or more sides? What ultimately happens with ethnic Russians who are still in Ukraine? What happens with the ethnic Ukrainians who are still in Russia? Ukrainians who are currently in [Russian-occupied] territory but want to live in Ukraine? How do you facilitate that? And many of the Russians have asked similar questions. And then there's, of course, a question about reconstruction."

More details: Vance said that he does not oppose details being leaked to the press and believes all sides are engaging in talks "in good faith". However, he did not express certainty that peace would be achieved.

Quote: "We're gonna try to get this thing solved. We're going to keep on trying to negotiate. And I think that we've made progress, but sitting here today, I wouldn't stay with confidence that we're going to get to a peaceful resolution. I think there's a good chance we will, I think there's a good chance we won't."

Background:

• Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian delegation in the US, said that meetings with representatives of the United States and European partners over three days in Florida were productive and constructive.
• US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff also said that talks between representatives of the United States, Europe and Ukraine were productive.

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