Russia's war against Ukraine not going to end 'any time soon' – Vance

According to Ukrinform, Vance made the statement during an interview with Fox News.

He noted that in recent weeks, Ukraine and Russia have put forward proposals aimed at achieving peace.

"Now, I think, the question is to see whether we can find some middle ground here for these guys to bring this conflict to a close," he said.

Vance said that the war "is not going to end any time soon." He added that it is ultimately up to Kyiv and Moscow to decide whether they come to an agreement and stop "this brutal, brutal conflict."

"I think the Ukrainians, of course, are angry that they were invaded. But are we going to continue to lose thousands and thousands of soldiers over a few miles of territory this or that way?" Vance asked, expressing hope that both sides would "come to their senses."

At the same time, Vance expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of resolving the war.

"I'm optimistic, but it's hard to say [I'm] confident because the Russians and the Ukrainians are the ones who have to take the final step. We've got them talking. […] I think we're in a place where they've got to say, 'We're done with the fighting. We're done with losing thousands and thousands of young people'," he said, adding that only Russia and Ukraine can make that decision.

Photo: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0)