Trump Expresses Support for Direct Ukraine-Russia Talks Without US Mediation

US President Donald Trump stated that he does not object to Ukraine and Russia negotiating an end to their conflict independently without direct US participation as an initial mediator.

The US president shared his perspective during an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, June 5, amid diplomatic proposals between Kyiv and Moscow.

“Let them deal”

When asked by journalists whether President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin should hold a direct conversation before the US steps back in to mediate formal peace talks, Trump indicated he supported the idea.

“Well, I don’t mind,” Trump stated. “I mean, let them deal. I’m the one that got them to this position, and I think that’s going to get worked out. I think we’re getting close to where Russia [and] Ukraine should have... But I think that’s going to get worked out.”

The US president also repeated his frequent assertion that the war should never have occurred, adding that the full-scale invasion would not have taken place had he been leading the US in 2022.

A stalled diplomatic overture

Trump’s comments on Friday arrived immediately after a public diplomatic push by Kyiv. On Thursday, June 4, President Zelensky published an open letter directly proposing a face-to-face meeting with Putin in a neutral country – such as Switzerland, Turkey, or an Arab nation – with the US and European partners participating as potential security guarantors.

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Zelensky’s proposal coincided with Putin’s appearance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where the Russian leader was meeting with senior news agency editors. While Putin claimed he had never categorically refused diplomatic talks, he rejected Zelensky’s specific offer. Putin argued that a direct summit at this stage “would be pointless” and claimed it would “primarily benefit Ukraine”.

Following the refusal, the Kremlin dismissed the outreach by stating that if Zelensky wished to meet, he should travel to Moscow. Zelensky rejected the condition, stating that after years of conflict, there is no reason for a Ukrainian leader to visit the Russian capital, just as there is no reason for a Russian leader to visit Kyiv.

Kyiv points to structural strain in Moscow

Reacting to the Kremlin’s stance on Thursday night, Zelensky described the Russian response as “weak” and stated it demonstrated that Putin does not want to end the war.

Zelensky noted that Moscow’s refusal to engage constructively comes at a time when the Russian economy faces domestic pressure from fuel shortages, rising prices, and the potential necessity of a second mobilization wave.

The president argued that the most reliable path toward altering the trajectory of the war remains tightening international economic restrictions to systematically slow down Russia’s capacity to fund its military operations.