The United States has cautiously acknowledged diplomatic progress between Russia and Ukraine, including humanitarian prisoner exchanges, while maintaining a strategic distance from formal peace negotiations. According to the US State Department, though Washington is not directly involved in recent talks, it is actively monitoring developments and remains in contact with both parties.
“Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Tammy Bruce have been saying for a while that the only real solution can come with the parties talking directly, and that is what we’ve been seeing here, at least in this regard. And we, of course, remain in close contact with both parties at the highest levels. And we welcome the success, the movement, more prisoner exchanges,” the diplomat noted. “We’re not involved in that as the State Department,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a June 10 press briefing, according to Russian TASS.
Russia and US envoys met quietly in Riyadh
According to multiple Russian media reports, senior Russian and American officials conducted confidential talks in Riyadh earlier this year. These meetings focused on restoring diplomatic presence, maritime safety in the Black Sea, and protection of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during wartime.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin was part of the Russian delegation, which included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Presidential Advisor Yuri Ushakov. The American side reportedly involved US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Congressman Mike Waltz.
According to Izvestia, that both sides discussed the re-establishment of diplomatic missions and frameworks for avoiding escalation in maritime conflict zones.
The delegations held “technical” discussions without issuing a joint public statement. These sessions were described as laying the groundwork for more formal future dialogue while reducing risks in conflict-sensitive sectors.
Istanbul and Moscow as neutral venues
The recent thaw in prisoner exchange and dialogue has been partly credited to informal negotiations hosted in Istanbul and Moscow, where representatives from Russia and Ukraine have engaged via third-party mediators, including Turkey and the United Nations.
According to Russian Kommersant, that the talks in Istanbul earlier this year facilitated a major prisoner exchange involving dozens of wounded soldiers. A senior Russian negotiator told the paper that the process remains fragile but has “opened corridors for continued communication.”
Moscow has insisted that any resolution must reflect “realities on the ground,” and it has rejected frameworks that involve Western military presence or NATO expansion. In contrast, Ukraine has maintained that full territorial restoration, including Crimea and Donbas, is a non-negotiable prerequisite for lasting peace.
Controversial US–Ukraine resource-for-aid deal
While engaging in diplomacy, Washington has also deepened its strategic hold over Kyiv through a controversial resource-based agreement. Under the deal, signed in late April, the US gained partial rights over Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals and energy sector revenues in exchange for continued aid.
According to Dicovery Alert, from the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, the agreement allocates 50% of revenues from strategic mining and export to a Western-controlled reconstruction fund. While Washington describes this as a “postwar recovery mechanism,” Ukrainian lawmakers have raised concerns over national sovereignty and long-term dependency.
Independent lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko told local media that “this may help us in the short term but could mortgage our independence for decades.” Protests in Kyiv last month called for a parliamentary review and possible renegotiation of the agreement.
European-led coalition preparing for post-conflict order
Meanwhile, European powers are organizing a multinational “coalition of the willing” to enforce a ceasefire should Russia and Ukraine reach a formal truce. Led by the UK and France, the coalition involves over 30 countries, with proposed deployment of peacekeeping troops and enforcement of security guarantees.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during a recent address in Brussels, said the alliance would focus on “continued support to Ukraine, holding Russia accountable, and offering credible deterrents to future aggression.” Starmer’s four-point plan includes rotating deployments along Ukraine’s borders and extending sanctions until full withdrawal of Russian forces.
Moscow has criticized the idea as a “backdoor NATO expansion” and warned that any foreign troop presence in Ukraine outside a UN mandate would be treated as a hostile act.
A recalibration of US diplomacy?
Though the US remains formally outside of the negotiation track, the administration’s acknowledgment of “progress” and quiet diplomacy signals a tactical shift. By allowing regional actors like Turkey and Saudi Arabia to mediate and keeping direct but informal contact with Russia, Washington may be seeking influence without visible ownership of outcomes.
As new rounds of talks are expected in Istanbul later this month, attention will focus on whether the 30-day ceasefire on energy infrastructure—first proposed in Riyadh—will be extended, and whether Ukraine’s domestic political landscape will continue to accept American conditionality on aid.
