Trump Withdraws from Ukraine Peace Talks, Falling Short on Campaign Promise

The U.S. State Department confirmed Friday that the United States will no longer serve as a mediator in negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, marking a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy and a setback to one of President Donald Trump's key campaign promises.

At a press briefing, State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated, “The methodology in how we contribute to this will change in that we will not be the mediators.” While she reiterated the administration's commitment to peace, Bruce emphasized that the U.S. would no longer "fly around the world at the drop of a hat" and that the responsibility for reaching a settlement now rests with Kiev and Moscow.

The decision, which had been signaled by the Trump administration last month if progress was not made, comes just two days after the U.S. and Ukraine signed a controversial ‘Minerals Deal,’ granting the U.S. access to Ukrainian natural resources.

In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance defended the administration’s approach, claiming that Washington had succeeded in bringing the two sides to the table and that it was now time for them to “take the final step.” However, as of now, no direct negotiations are taking place between the Russian and Ukrainian governments.

The Trump-led peace process, which began in February, was widely criticized by for overlooking key issues—most notably, the fact that the U.S. remains Ukraine’s primary supplier of weapons, funding, and intelligence support. This longstanding involvement complicated the U.S. position as a neutral mediator and drew skepticism from observers.

Following the Minerals Deal, the White House requested Congress approve the sale of $50 million worth of weapons to Ukraine along with the State Department approving a contact worth $311 million for training services and spare parts for F-16 fighter jets operated by Ukraine.

On Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham announced that 72 senators back a bill proposing secondary sanctions on Russia, including punitive 500% tariffs on any country purchasing Russian oil and gas. Reports also emerged late Friday that the Trump Administration has finalized new sanctions against Russia’s energy and banking sectors, pending the President’s approval.

If military aid continues and sanctions expand, Trump risks not only falling short of his campaign promise to end the war in Ukraine but also aligning with policies championed by former President Joe Biden—policies he sharply criticized during his campaign.