US steps back from peace talks, saying it won’t mediate between Russia and Ukraine

US state department warns envoys will stop flying around the world ‘at the drop of a hat’

The US will no longer mediate between Russia and Ukraine, leaving the two countries to work out how to end the war, a state department official says.

Tammy Bruce said US envoys would no longer fly around the world “at the drop of a hat” to act as a go-between in peace talks.

It was now “between the two parties” to present concrete ideas on how the conflict would end, she insisted, although the US remained committed to helping.

She said the US was changing the methodology of how it contributed to the conflict, adding: “We will not be the mediators.”

Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal, says the minerals deal will boost air defences (Reuters)

US president Donald Trump and vice-president JD Vance have both previously warned that they could walk away from peace talks if there was no progress in negotiations on a ceasefire.

On Thursday, secretary of state Marco Rubio said that either there would need to be a breakthrough towards peace “very soon” or Mr Trump would have to decide how much time the US would dedicate to the conflict.

“This is not our war,” he said.

At the same time, Mr Vance warned it would be up to the Russians and Ukrainians “now that each side knows what the other's terms for peace are”.

“It's going to be up to them to come to an agreement and stop this brutal, brutal conflict,” he told Fox News.

Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal suggested Kyiv’s air defence systems would be boosted by a minerals deal signed with the United States this week, which on Thursday is due to go before Ukraine’s parliament for politicians to vote on ratification.

The deal will give the US preferential access to new investments in extraction of Ukraine's natural resources, and fund investment in Ukraine's reconstruction.

Any new military aid could count as the US contribution to the joint fund being set up under the accord.

Rescuers work at an apartment building hit by a Russian drone on Friday in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia (Reuters)

“This agreement will allow us to better defend our country here and now, to better protect our skies thanks to American air defence systems,” Mr Shmyhal said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the deal resulted from his “truly historic” Vatican meeting with Mr Trump before Pope Francis’s funeral.

On the battlefield, Russia says its forces are continuing to create a “security strip” in border areas of Ukraine’s Sumy region after driving Ukrainian troops out of Kursk, just across the border.

Ukraine says its forces still have a foothold in Kursk, but that it is concerned about a possible Russian advance into Sumy.

Russian president Vladimir Putin said in March that Russia should create a buffer zone in Sumy to deter potential Ukrainian incursions.

In any peace deal, Ukraine refuses to cede any land and wants robust security guarantees against future aggression, possibly involving peacekeepers, which Russia rejects. The Kremlin wants a guarantee Ukraine will not join Nato. It also wants Kyiv to “demilitarise” – or significantly reduce its armed forces.

Downing Street welcomed the economic deal signed between Ukraine and the US, after foreign secretary David Lammy said UK support for Kyiv remained steadfast.

The agreement signed on Wednesday is expected to give the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, while providing President Zelensky with a measure of assurance about US support for Kyiv.

In April, the deal had appeared doomed, when Mr Trump put on a show of anger at Mr Zelensky, ejecting him from the White House.