The United States will no longer lead peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, a top State Department official said on Thursday. The decision comes after more than three years of war and little progress toward peace, according to NEWS 18. “We are not going to fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. “We will not be the mediators going forward.” Bruce explained that both Russia and Ukraine now need to take responsibility. “It is now between the two parties,” she said. “Now is the time that they need to present and develop co

The United States will no longer lead peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, a top State Department official said on Thursday. The decision comes after more than three years of war and little progress toward peace, according to NEWS 18. “We are not going to fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. “We will not be the mediators going forward.” Bruce explained that both Russia and Ukraine now need to take responsibility. “It is now between the two parties,” she said. “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.” Her comments reflect frustration from President Donald Trump, who has been unhappy with the lack of progress from both Moscow and Kyiv. Vice President JD Vance agreed, saying, “It’s going to be up to them to come to an agreement and stop this brutal, brutal conflict. It’s not going anywhere. It’s not going to end any time soon.” Even though the US is stepping back from peace talks, it is still working with Ukraine in other ways. Just this week, the US and Ukraine signed a major mineral deal. Both countries will invest in a new fund, and the US can include military training, weapons, or technology as part of its share. Military aid from earlier agreements, approved during former President Joe Biden’s time, is expected to run out next month. It’s still unclear if the Republican-led House of Representatives will agree to send more. Despite this, Ukraine is still buying weapons directly from US companies. Ukrainian leaders hope the new mineral deal will convince the US government to allow more direct sales of weapons. Last month, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he asked President Trump if his country could buy up to 10 Patriot missile systems for $15 billion. Trump said no. With the US stepping back, the path to peace now rests more than ever with Russia and Ukraine.    

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