Speaking during his visit to Rome, Italy, Vance said the talks were progressing and that he planned to brief Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on recent developments.
“We’ve got some issues that still need to be worked out,” Vance said. “I’ll update the prime minister on the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine — we’ve already talked about this, and there’s a general sense of positivity and optimism.”
Vance is currently on an official visit to Italy from April 18 to 20. While in Rome, he has held meetings with Meloni and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
On April 17, Meloni traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Vance. Trump has previously called Meloni “a fantastic leader and person,” and the Italian prime minister has attended several of Trump’s campaign rallies.
Following their meeting, Meloni said Trump accepted her invitation to visit Italy.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the Trump administration is prepared to walk away from Ukraine peace talks within days if no meaningful progress is made.