(MENAFN) US Vice President J.D. Vance said Russian President Vladimir Putin is focused on defending Russia’s national interests, drawing a parallel to US President Donald Trump’s own prioritization of American interests. Vance suggested this mutual focus explains the respect the two leaders share.

Speaking after Trump’s recent summit with Putin in Alaska and subsequent talks with Ukraine’s Zelensky and EU leaders, Vance described Putin as “more soft-spoken than portrayed in Western media,” deliberate, and careful in his actions. He emphasized that while the leaders may disagree on certain issues, Trump is willing to collaborate with Putin toward a resolution in Ukraine, which Vance called “an important goal for America.”

Trump has proposed a one-on-one meeting between Putin and Zelensky, potentially followed by a trilateral summit. Moscow has not confirmed the meetings but suggested elevating the level of delegation in ongoing talks. Putin has indicated that any meeting with Zelensky would require concrete progress and cautioned that Zelensky’s presidential term has expired, warning that any signed agreement could be overturned.

Vance reiterated that he and Trump support a direct Putin-Zelensky meeting, even if all issues are not fully resolved. He highlighted Ukraine’s demands for post-conflict security guarantees and Russia’s insistence on recognition of current territorial realities as key sticking points. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that Putin remains willing to meet Zelensky once all critical issues are “thoroughly worked out” with detailed recommendations from negotiation teams.

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