US Vice President J.D. Vance on Wednesday urged Ukraine to accept the American peace proposal, which exactly repeats Russia's longstanding demands, including 'freezing' territorial lines in the three-year war, recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea, and banning Ukraine from joining the NATO alliance, writes The New York Times.
During a trip to India, Vance said that the United States would 'leave' the peace process if Ukraine and Russia refuse to accept American terms. 'We have made a very clear proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it is time for them to either say 'yes' or the United States will exit this process,' Vance told reporters.
'The current lines or somewhere close to them are where ultimately, I think, the new lines of conflict will be drawn,' he explained the US plan. 'Of course, this means that both Ukrainians and Russians will have to give up some of the territory they currently hold.' However, the vice president did not specify which territory Russia would have to give up.
For the first time, an American official publicly outlined the ceasefire conditions in such stark terms, and the comments seemed intended to increase pressure on Ukraine, which has long refused to recognize Russia's claims to its lands, especially Crimea.
The vice president's comments came just hours after Zelensky stated that his country would never recognize the legitimate occupation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, adding that it violates Ukraine's Constitution. He also stated that Ukraine cannot accept a ban on joining NATO.
On Wednesday afternoon, Ukraine's Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko also stated that her country 'will never recognize the occupation of Crimea.' 'Ukraine is ready for negotiations—but not for capitulation. There will be no agreement that gives Russia a stronger basis needed to regroup and return with even more violence,' she wrote on the social network X.
Freezing essentially forces Ukraine to effectively cede vast lands to Russia and violates the principles of self-determination and borders that prompted the United States and European countries to support Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
Photo: The New York Times