“Rewards and punishments”: Vance comments on U.S. mediation in Ukraine-Russia talks

He made these remarks during an interview on Charlie Kirk’s online show.

“They’re (the negotiations - ed.) very much, you know, in full swing... You know, sometimes you apply pressure. Sometimes you’re a little bit more friendly. Sometimes you offer rewards. Sometimes you offer punishments. It’s just, it’s a nitty gritty dirty job, but it’s the job the American people elected the Trump administration to do,” Vance said. 

According to him, there are times when the feel frustrated with both Ukrainians and Russians and want to “throw up their hands,” but U.S. President Donald Trump, Vance says, prevents this by pushing them back to the negotiating table to seek solutions that can bring the sides closer together. The Vice President noted that the negotiations have reached that stage now.

Vance acknowledged that Russia and Ukraine have different visions for a peaceful resolution, but said the United States sees it as a breakthrough that both sides have been “forced” to begin discussing how to “stop the fighting.”

“But what one side needs is different from what the other side needs, and it’s the job of diplomacy to try to bring those two sides together. I can’t say with 100% certainty, Charlie, we’re going to be able to do it. But I do think that we’re trying very hard and I feel more optimistic about it today than I did two weeks ago. And I felt more optimistic two weeks ago than I did two months ago,” he concluded. 

• On April 23, Vance said that the administration of President Donald Trump may refuse to mediate in the talks between Russia and Ukraine.