US withdraws from mediation in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia

The United States will no longer mediate in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia – the US State Department said.

State Department spokeswoman Tami Bruce said at a meeting with reporters that the United States is changing « the methodology of how they contribute » to the talks and will no longer « fly around the world during the first call for meetings ».

Kiev and Moscow must now come up with « concrete » proposals for the end of the war and meet directly to resolve the conflict – Bruce added.

« We will continue to help, but we will no longer fly around the world as intermediaries at meetings, » she told reporters.

– Now everything is on both sides. The time has come for them to present and develop concrete ideas on how to end this conflict. It will depend on them – she added.

Bruce pointed out that Trump « knows there is another part of the world, a whole planet that needs some attention. »

Washington’s withdrawal from direct mediation comes after previous US warnings that it would withdraw from negotiations if its peace proposal was dismissed by both Ukraine and Russia.

Secretary of State Marko Rubio and Donald Trump have earlier warned that the United States will withdraw from its mediation efforts unless significant progress is made.

« The secretary has also made it clear that, although our style will change, the methodology of our contribution will change in the sense that we will no longer be intermediaries, » Bruce recalled.

Later, Trump announced a threat to withdraw Truth Social.

« If one of the two sides makes things too difficult, we just say: you are fools, you are stupid, you are terrible people and we will simply step down, » he said.

The State Department’s decision comes a day after the United States and Ukraine signed a comprehensive economic agreement to establish Ukraine’s investment fund. Volodimir Zelenski called this agreement « historic », and Washington promised to continue to support Kiev in defense of the Russian invasion. In turn, Ukraine will provide US access to valuable natural resources.

The United States initially proposed a 30-day ceasefire agreement, which Kyiv accepted. However, Moscow has not only rejected that truce proposal and other plans to end the bloody war, but Russian forces have further stepped up attacks in Ukraine.

The State Department said on Tuesday that it would step down as a mediator if he did not see « concrete proposals » from Moscow and Kiev to end the conflict.