Vice President Vance Tells Russia and Ukraine: Make Peace or We Walk

Vice President JD Vance has laid down a bold ultimatum for Russia and Ukraine: accept a peace proposal or the U.S. might just bow out of the negotiations. During a visit to India, Vance told reporters that the U.S. has put forward a "very explicit proposal" for ending the war, which has dragged on for over three years. The message is clear—either both sides get serious about peace, or America could step back from the whole process.

Vance explained, "We've issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it's time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process. We've engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work." If only international diplomacy came with a snooze button, right?

He further emphasized that the only way to truly end the bloodshed is for both armies to lay down their weapons. "Freeze this thing and get on with the business of actually building a better Russia and a better Ukraine," Vance urged.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is skipping peace talks in London, citing "logistical issues." State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that Rubio plans to follow up after the current discussions and reschedule his trip to the UK in the coming months. Instead, Gen. Keith Kellogg, the special presidential envoy for Ukraine, will represent the U.S. at the talks.

Rubio recently suggested that the U.S. could walk away from the negotiation table within "a matter of days" if progress stalls, even as President Donald Trump continues to push for a ceasefire deal. Trump chimed in, supporting Rubio's stance and emphasizing the urgent need to end the conflict. "Think about it, every day a lot of people are being killed as we talk about, you know, as they play games, so we’re not gonna take that," Trump told reporters. He remains optimistic about the U.S.'s chances of brokering peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Not everyone shares that optimism. Security experts warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin might not actually want peace—a grim reminder that sometimes, the carrot-and-stick approach just ends up with a broken carrot.

Trump has dangled the prospect of post-war business opportunities with the U.S. for both countries, hoping to coax both sides into putting down their arms. This comes right after the end of a temporary Easter ceasefire, which both Ukraine and Russia accused each other of violating. In other words, the cycle of blame continues, and the path to peace remains as murky as ever.