Kremlin says Moscow unclear on Vance’s ‘breakthrough’ remark on Ukraine

Russia does not yet understand what US Vice President JD Vance meant by claiming a "breakthrough" had been achieved in negotiations on Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, adding Moscow expects clarification in due course.

Speaking to Russia's Rossiya-1 television channel, Peskov said he lacked information about the substance of the comment and suggested that any explanation would likely come through non-public channels rather than open statements.

He stressed that such issues are rarely resolved publicly and noted that Moscow would receive further details over time.

Peskov's remarks followed talks on a Ukrainian settlement held on Dec. 20-21 in Miami, Florida, where the US side was represented by US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, entrepreneur Jared Kushner.

He did not elaborate on Russia's position regarding the substance of the discussions or whether Moscow views recent contacts as marking tangible progress.

Vance recently argued that positions between Russia and Ukraine have become clearer during negotiations, particularly on territorial issues.

He claimed that Moscow seeks full territorial control over Donetsk while Ukraine views this as a serious security threat and has suggested that Ukrainian officials privately acknowledged the risk of ultimately losing control over the region.

The vice president has also said negotiations have helped define both open and closed agendas between the parties, describing this as progress while cautioning that it remains uncertain whether talks will lead to a peaceful settlement.