US stepping back from peace talks role to end war between Russia and Ukraine: State Department official

The US is stepping back from its involvement in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine to end the war, a State Department official signaled Thursday.

State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters that the US “will not be the mediators” going forward, reflecting  President Trump’s frustration by the lack of progress between Kyiv and Moscow in ending the bloodshed.

President Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, February 28, 2025. AFP via Getty Images

Police officers carry an injured man on a stretcher after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025. AP

“We are not going to fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings,” she said, adding that the US still remains committed to helping reach a deal.

“It is now between the two parties, and now – now is the time that they need to present and develop concrete ideas about how this conflict is going to end. It’s going to be up to them,” Bruce said.