The United States will no longer mediate peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia after Vladimir Putin refused to sign up to a ceasefire. The State Department said it is changing “the methodology of how we contribute” to the talks and will no longer “fly around the world at the drop of a hat” for meetings. “We will continue to help, but we will no longer fly around the world as mediators in meetings,” said Tammy Bruce, a spokesperson.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that Kyiv and Moscow must now present “concrete” proposals for ending the war and should meet directly to resolve the conflict. Washington withdrawing from peace talks came soon after the US signed a minerals deal with Ukraine on more favourable terms for Kyiv, while Donald Trump green-lit his administration’s first round of weapons deliveries to the war-torn country. In recent days, Mr Trump has softened his stance towards Kyiv amid his growing frustrations towards Vladimir Putin for dragging his feet over attempts to secure a ceasefire.
The Kremlin has expressed a willingness for talks with Kyiv, but this week rejected a US peace proposal because it did not grant international recognition of the territory its forces seized in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine has repeatedly rejected any formal recognition of Russia’s annexation of its territory, saying that Putin should not be rewarded for his aggression. Moscow’s forces control roughly one fifth of Ukraine, which includes its resource-rich industrial heartlands to the east.
US intelligence briefings overnight also suggested Mr Putin is now in a weakened position and has shifted his war goals to consolidate gains. JD Vance, the US vice-president, admitted on Thursday that the war will not end “any time soon”. Echoing the State Department’s comments, Mr Vance said that both sides “know what the other’s terms for peace are” and now it is “up to them to come to an agreement and stop this brutal, brutal conflict”.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “It’s not going anywhere … It’s not going to end any time soon,” he told Fox News. “For the Ukrainians, yes, of course they are angry that they were invaded, but are we going to continue to lose thousands and thousands of soldiers over a few miles of territory this or that way?” added Mr Vance, who has been critical of Kyiv throughout negotiations. On Wednesday, the US signed a long-contested rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine, which will give American companies preferential treatment in extracting Ukraine’s vast natural resources.
Ukraine’s parliament is set to hold a vote on May 8 to ratify the accord, which is central to Kyiv’s efforts to mend ties with the White House that had frayed since Mr Trump returned to office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Volodymyr Zelensky hailed it as a “truly equal” agreement, which is believed to have been far more favourable to Kyiv than earlier demands, and came amid Mr Trump’s recent softening towards Ukraine. Soon after the deal was signed, the US president approved a fresh delivery of weapons to Ukraine, the first of its kind since Mr Trump took office.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, meanwhile told Americans that the war in Ukraine “is not our war”. Echoing the vice-president’s statements, he said that without a breakthrough, “the president is going to have to make a decision about how much more time we’re going to dedicate to this”. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement “I think we know where Ukraine is, and we know where Russia is right now … They’re closer, but they’re still far apart,” he added in a separate interview with Fox News.
Russia’s frozen funds Ukraine agreed immediately to the US’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire last month, while Moscow has stalled in what Kyiv’s allies warn is an attempt to improve Russia’s battlefield position. On Friday, Europe announced it planned to seize and redistribute about €3 billion (£2.5 billion) of Russia’s frozen funds. The money would be used to compensate Western investors after Moscow seized cash held in Russia in recent months, three people told Reuters, escalating attempts by both sides to recoup billions in funds affected by the war.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Euroclear will redistribute €3 billion from a pool of €10 billion in cash belonging to Russian entities and individuals hit by the EU sanctions that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The EU changed its sanctions regime late last year, allowing a disbursement to Western investors. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism.
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