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Vice President J.D. Vance has signaled that the United States plans to leverage economic sanctions and potential military intervention to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in peace negotiations regarding the Ukraine conflict.
VP Vance suggests sanctions could be used to pressure Russia into peace negotiations. 🇺🇸📷RussiaUkraine #SanctionsStrategy@Newsmax
@JDVance1@StateDepthttps://t.co/piSHEt3eWQ— David Carlisle (@dqc1985) February 14, 2025
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Vance outlined the administration’s strategy, highlighting both economic and military options as potential pressure points against Putin. He indicated that deploying American forces to Ukraine remains a possibility if diplomatic efforts fail.
However, this stance appears to conflict with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s position. During a Brussels meeting with allies, Hegseth dismissed the prospect of U.S. troop deployment, emphasizing that Ukraine’s security should be maintained by European and non-European forces.
When asked to clarify these contradicting viewpoints, Hegseth deferred to President Donald Trump’s authority on future concessions.
The timing of Vance’s statements is significant, preceding a crucial Munich Security Conference between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. officials, including Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Keith Kellogg.
“The president is not going to go in this with blinders on,” Vance said of Trump’s interest in brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine. “He’s going to say, ‘Everything is on the table; let’s make a deal.'”
While emphasizing Ukraine’s sovereignty as a non-negotiable element, Vance remained noncommittal about territorial concessions to Russia. He suggested that various arrangements could be considered during negotiations, with Trump maintaining flexibility to adjust terms based on Russia’s cooperation.
Trump had earlier announced via Truth Social his intention to begin immediate peace talks with Putin, stating, “[W]e want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine.”
“[W]e want to stop the millions of #deaths taking place in the War with #Russia/Ukraine,” the #president posted on Truth Social.”
— Florida | The Best State (@KindnessTweets2) February 14, 2025
The vice president explained that the negotiation process would remain dynamic, with options being added or removed depending on both parties’ engagement and Ukrainian priorities.
