Russia on June 23 stated that the United States is no longer an “objective mediator” in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, while also criticizing Europe’s plans to increase defense spending.
US-led negotiations to resolve the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II remain effectively frozen. This situation arose after US President Donald Trump shifted his focus to the Middle East, ordering strikes on Iran at the end of February. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on June 23 told foreign ambassadors in Moscow that “as for the United States, judging by their actions, they seem to be abandoning any claims to the role of an objective mediator and instead are going down the path of escalating sanctions pressure on Russia.”
Sanctions and negotiation efforts
At the G-7 summit in France in early June, leaders, including Trump, agreed to increase pressure on Russia’s “military economy” by strengthening sanctions, particularly in the energy sector.
After returning to the White House in 2025, Trump, who promised to end the war in Ukraine within a day of taking office, insisted on the participation of both sides in the negotiations. However, US-mediated shuttle diplomacy has achieved little progress.
Kyiv refuses to yield to Moscow’s demands to transfer territory, limit the size of its army, and give up Western support. Hundreds of thousands of people have died, and millions in Ukraine have been forced to leave their homes since the start of Russia’s full-scale offensive in February 2022.
Source: The Straits Times