Diplomatic — 2026-06-06
Trump Says Let Them Deal as US Steps Back from Direct Ukraine-Russia Negotiation Role
BLUFTrump's voluntary withdrawal from the mediator seat, with no replacement mechanism in view, makes formal US-anchored peace negotiations unlikely before October 2026.
Speaking to reporters on June 5, Trump said of direct Ukraine-Russia talks "let them deal," claimed credit for bringing the parties to that point, and expressed confidence the conflict would "get worked out"
Analysis
It isunlikely the United States will participate as an active, named mediator in formal talks by September 30, 2026. High confidence rests on three convergent signals: Trump's public distancing language, Putin's 24-hour rejection of Zelensky's June 4 letter, and the absence of any scheduled trilateral mechanism. Putin's refusal removes the bilateral floor on which US-anchored mediation would need to stand. Naming Vance and Rubio as future participants, corroborated by two independent Ukrainian outlets, fits a guarantor or observer function rather than lead mediator. Trump's "we'll all be involved" qualifier may instead signal expectation management rather than formal withdrawal, preserving Washington's re-entry option if bilateral talks collapse. European capitals accordingly face a choice between building a parallel security-guarantee framework now or waiting on that option to materialize.
It is
2 sources
- Let them deal, Trump says of Ukraine-Russia talks -
Kyiv Independent - Trump on Zelenskyy and Putin: Let them deal -
Ukrainska Pravda