US Vice President J.D. Vance has called for Ukraine peace negotiations to be based on the current battle lines, saying such a settlement would be “realistic, if imperfect,” ahead of the upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. Speaking to Fox News, Vance said the aim was to reach an agreement both Russia and Ukraine could live with, where “the killing stops,” even if “it’s not going to make anybody super happy.”

Vance credited President Donald Trump with securing progress that could bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the negotiating table. Trump earlier suggested that potential solutions might involve “swapping of territories to the betterment of both” sides, though Zelensky has firmly rejected any concessions, stating Ukrainians will not surrender land to “occupiers.”

Vance also claimed Trump persuaded Putin to reconsider his refusal to meet Zelensky, with trilateral talks now under discussion. He dismissed the idea of Putin and Zelensky meeting before involving Trump, arguing it would not be productive without Trump’s mediation.

In remarks made after meetings with European and Ukrainian officials in London, including UK Foreign Minister David Lammy, Vance announced that the US would stop funding Ukraine directly. Instead, he suggested European nations could buy weapons from American producers if they wanted to continue supporting Kyiv.

“Americans are sick of continuing to send their tax dollars to this conflict,” Vance said, adding, “If Europeans want to step up and buy the weapons, we’re okay with that. But we’re not going to fund it ourselves anymore.”

The Trump-Putin summit is expected to focus heavily on the Ukraine conflict, with the US pushing for a peace framework rooted in the current frontlines while shifting the financial burden to European allies.