White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US “cannot” continue supplying weapons to Ukraine indefinitely, signaling a renewed push in Washington to end Russia’s war through diplomatic channels.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Leavitt said US President Donald Trump has invested “an extensive amount of time and energy” in seeking ways to resolve the conflict and “deserves gratitude” for doing so. She said Trump’s primary goal is to stop the killings and bring the war to a definitive end.
Leavitt added that the president’s frustration mirrors the sentiment of the American public, which she said is increasingly weary of the prolonged war.
Despite Trump’s decision to “stop the funding of this war,” Leavitt said the US continues to send or sell significant quantities of weapons to Ukraine through NATO mechanisms.
Her comments reinforce Washington’s stated desire to pursue a diplomatic settlement.
The remarks came as Ukrainian, US, and European officials wrapped up intensive talks in Geneva, where Kyiv and Washington said they had drafted a “refined peace framework” and made major progress toward a potential deal.
The push comes as Trump has pressed hard for a settlement based on a 28-point plan that sparked anger in Europe for tilting toward Moscow.
The leaked version proposed territorial concessions, limits on Ukraine’s military, and a permanent NATO ban – key Kremlin demands.
European capitals warned the terms would reward aggression. Negotiators spent the weekend rewriting large parts of the proposal, narrowing gaps on the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and prisoner exchanges.
But the biggest issues – territory and Ukraine’s NATO path – were left for direct talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump, a meeting expected soon.
US negotiators have warned Kyiv that the coming months may be decisive, cautioning that Ukraine could lose more territory if the battlefield situation worsens.
Washington also presented a separate 10-year security pact modeled on NATO’s Article 5, laying out coordinated support if Russia attacks again.
Zelensky has appealed for unity as the talks accelerate, urging Ukraine’s political class to “stop the bickering” at what officials describe as a critical moment.
If Kyiv and Washington finalize the remaining points – and secure European backing – US officials plan to take the plan to Moscow.