On September 28, 2025, Vice President JD Vance urged Russia to “wake up and accept reality” in its ongoing war against Ukraine, emphasizing the need for peace negotiations. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Vance highlighted the Trump administration’s efforts to end the conflict, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. “We want peace here,” Vance said. “We have been actively pursuing peace from the very beginning of the administration, but the Russians have got to wake up and accept reality here.”
Shifting U.S. Stance on the War
Vance’s comments follow a notable shift in President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. Earlier in the week, Trump posted on Truth Social that Ukraine, with support from the European Union, is “in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.” This marks a departure from earlier suggestions that Ukraine might need to cede territory to achieve peace. Trump’s statement came after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on September 23, 2025, during the United Nations General Assembly. Zelensky expressed optimism about battlefield progress and thanked Trump for facilitating NATO weapons transfers to Ukraine.
The Human and Territorial Toll
The war has taken a devastating toll. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, over 250,000 Russian soldiers and between 60,000 and 100,000 Ukrainian troops have died since the conflict began. The United Nations reported on September 10, 2025, that over 14,100 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, while the Moscow Times noted in May that more than 620 Russian civilians have died. Russia currently occupies all of Luhansk and Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, as well as parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
Escalating Violence
Hours before Vance’s Fox News appearance, Russia launched one of the largest aerial assaults of the war on September 28, 2025, targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions. The attack, involving drones and missiles, killed at least four people and injured dozens, according to Reuters. These large-scale drone attacks have strained Ukraine’s limited air defenses throughout 2025, prompting the Pentagon to request $500 million to counter the threat. Meanwhile, Ukraine has struck back, with satellite imagery showing damage to Russian warplanes from Ukrainian drone attacks.
Push for Peace Amid Rising Costs
Vance pointed to the mounting death toll and questioned Russia’s strategy. “A lot of people are dying,” he said. “They don’t have a lot to show for it. How many more people are they willing to lose? How many more people are they willing to kill for very little, if any, gain in the military advantage on the ground there?” He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far refused to meet with Trump and Zelensky, despite Trump’s optimism after discussions with Zelensky and European leaders in August 2025 about a potential trilateral meeting.
Looking Forward
The Trump administration continues to push for peace, with Vance emphasizing that Russia must recognize the reality of its limited military gains. As the war enters its fourth year, the international community watches closely to see if diplomatic efforts can bring an end to the devastating conflict.
Source: Times of India
