Russians, Ukrainians ‘not yet ready to make a deal’ on ending war: Vance

“As much as energetic diplomacy from the president of the United States can get people to the one-yard line, eventually you have to have the two parties who are willing to cut a deal,” Vance said.

“For all of our work, and we’re going to keep on working at it, the Russians and the Ukrainians are just not at the point where they can make a deal,” he said, adding that a settlement remains possible but will require “a lot more work.”

Vance pointed to what he called a “misalignment of expectations,” saying “the Russians tend to think that they’re doing better on the battlefield than they actually are,” which he said has made negotiations more difficult in recent months.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently described the peace process as entering a “dramatic stage,” citing rising tensions and expressing “extreme concern” over Washington’s possible transfer of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said that Moscow agreed in principle to a concept discussed with the US at the Alaska summit in August between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and is awaiting a response from Washington.

He warned that sending Tomahawks to Ukraine “could lead to a serious escalation” while urging a renewed focus on talks addressing NATO expansion and the status of contested territories.