At the Munich Leaders Meeting on May 7, US Vice President JD Vance outlined a significant shift in Washington’s approach to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, signaling an end to the Biden-era fixation on short-term ceasefires and instead advocating for a durable, negotiated settlement. Vance made it clear that the United States under President Donald Trump is moving beyond “the obsession with the 30-day ceasefire” proposed by Ukraine and is now more focused on brokering a substantive long-term agreement with Russia.

Ukraine had recently floated the idea of a 30-day ceasefire as a countermeasure to Moscow’s proposal for a 72-hour truce to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. Kiev’s plan was positioned as a humanitarian initiative, but Russia quickly dismissed it, claiming that Ukraine would likely use the period to regroup and strengthen its faltering military positions after months of battlefield setbacks.

Vance acknowledged these concerns during his address, emphasizing that Washington recognizes the limitations of temporary halts in fighting. “We’ve tried to move beyond the obsession with the 30-day ceasefire and focus more on what the long-term settlement would look like,” Vance said. “And we’ve tried to consistently advance the ball.” His remarks suggest a pragmatic pivot by the Trump administration, one that seeks to move the conflict toward an enduring resolution rather than indulging in symbolic gestures that fail to alter the strategic realities on the ground.

Vance revealed that while the US remains committed to the pursuit of........

© Blitz