The United States has pulled out of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia after Vladimir Putin declined to sign up to a ceasefire.
The State Department confirmed it will no longer “fly around the world at the drop of a hat” for meetings.
It comes after Moscow accused Kyiv of attacking a busy market in Russian-controlled southern Ukraine in a drone strike it said had killed at least seven civilians and wounded more than 20.
Meanwhile, Kyiv said the attack had killed only military personnel.
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy
Reuters
US State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce
Getty
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said: "The nature of how this would change is we would not – we certainly are still committed to it and will help and do what we can.
"But we are not going to fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings, that it is now between the two parties."
President Trump has reportedly become increasingly frustrated with Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin's perceived refusal to budge over a potential ceasefire deal.
Sources close to the Trump administration told Bloomberg that White House officials have prepared a set of options to increase economic pressure on Russia, however they did not disclose what these were.
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Trump has previously praised PutinGettyKyiv and its allies have been urging the US to step-up pressure on Moscow, including through expanding sanctions on its energy exports and oil revenues, to force Putin to the negotiation table.
Ukraine's parliament will hold a vote on May 8 to ratify a minerals deal signed with the United States earlier this week, a lawmaker said, while two other documents pertaining to the agreement will not need to be ratified.
The US and Ukraine signed a deal earlier this week that will give the United States preferential access to new investments in extraction of Ukraine's natural resources, and fund investment in Ukraine's reconstruction.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News: "I think we know where Ukraine is, and we know where Russia is right now... They're closer, but they're still far apart."
Meanwhile, JD Vance said Donald Trump had brought Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table but that it would now 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" he added.
