U.S. Vice President says “there will have to be territorial exchanges” between Russia and Ukraine

The White House has extended “a very explicit proposal” for peace between the two countries. “I believe the new lines in this conflict will end up being drawn close to the current frontlines,” said JD Vance.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that “there will have to be some territorial exchanges” in a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. According to the vice president, “it’s time for the parties to say ‘yes,’ or for the United States to step away from this process.”

According to Vance, the White House has made “a very explicit proposal” to both Moscow and Kyiv to reach a peaceful resolution to the war. “I think it’ll be close to the current lines (on the front) where new lines will end up being drawn in this conflict,” he told reporters after visiting the Taj Mahal in India, where he is on a diplomatic trip.

For the U.S. Vice President, both sides need to “lay down their arms, freeze this issue, and focus on building a better Russia and a better Ukraine,” according to the U.S. news agency Bloomberg.

Freezing the conflict along current frontlines would represent a significant sacrifice for Ukraine, which has been trying to reclaim not only territory lost since the 2022 invasion but also regions it has gradually lost control of since 2014, such as Crimea.

This is one of the main sticking points. The White House may be willing to recognize Russian control over the peninsula, although Zelensky said Tuesday that such proposals do not reflect Washington’s official position. The Ukrainian president also rejected engaging in discussions over “Crimea or our sovereign territories,” which, he said, would mean “falling into the format Russia wants.”

While Vance claimed to be “optimistic,” the distance between the two sides’ positions stands in contrast to the “enthusiasm” Trump claimed to see last Friday from both the Russian and Ukrainian governments, which he said would be needed to keep the peace talks alive.

Separately, on Tuesday, Zelensky said Chinese nationals are working at a drone manufacturing facility in Russia and suggested that Moscow may have “stolen” drone technology from Beijing.

These remarks come just days after the Ukrainian leader, for the first time, accused China of supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia—an allegation firmly denied by Beijing.

Zelensky said that although there is no evidence of China officially providing lethal weapons to Russia, the Kremlin might have obtained drone-related technology without Beijing’s knowledge or consent.

“We believe it’s possible that Russia stole, or made some deal with these citizens outside of any agreements with Chinese leaders, and stole this technology,” Zelensky said at a press conference in Kyiv.

He also mentioned that at least 155 Chinese citizens are allegedly fighting in the Russian army, adding that two of them had been captured by Ukrainian forces.

These comments follow earlier claims that Russia is recruiting Chinese nationals through social media to fight in the conflict—an accusation that Chinese authorities have denied.

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian government summoned China’s ambassador in Kyiv, Ma Shengkun, to express concerns about the alleged involvement of Chinese citizens in hostilities.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented what it considers evidence that China has been indirectly involved in producing military equipment in Russia, saying this contradicts the spirit of partnership between the two countries.

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis emphasized that the involvement of Chinese nationals in the war and the participation of Chinese companies in military production for Russia are causes for “grave concern.” Ukrainian intelligence services have reportedly passed along evidence to Chinese authorities.

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