US vice president says Putin 'doesn't quite know how to get out of the war'

US Vice President JD Vance on Monday expressed doubt that Russian President Vladimir Putin has a clear strategy to end the Ukraine war, suggesting Moscow's leader may be trapped in without an exit plan.

"I think President Putin, he doesn't quite know how to get out of the war," Vance told reporters before returning to Washington after attending Pope Leo's inauguration.

Vance questioned Russia's commitment to genuine peace negotiations despite some concessions: "One open question is, is Vladimir Putin serious about negotiating peace ... He has taken some serious steps in these conversations, but we feel like we're at a point where we're hitting an impasse."

The vice president warned about potential US disengagement if progress stalls: "That takes two to tango. I know the president's willing to do that. But if Russia is not willing to do that, then we're eventually just going to have to say this is not our war."

Vance emphasized the Trump administration seeks tangible outcomes rather than endless process, while offering economic incentives for peace. "There are a lot of economic benefits to thawing relations between Russia and the rest of the world, but you're not going to get those benefits if you keep on killing a lot of innocent people," Vance said, adding that the US is willing to be "a partner for peace."

He added that Trump views the deep Russia-West mistrust as "frankly stupid" and believes both sides "should be able to move beyond the mistakes that have been made in the past.”

Vance's statements came hours before a two-hour-long phone call between Trump and Putin. Trump said the call with Putin "went very well," and that Moscow and Kyiv are slated to "immediately" begin negotiations over a ceasefire.

Putin has also described the conversation with Trump as "frank and substantive."