On 12 June, US President Donald Trump said he is disappointed with both Ukraine and Russia for failing to reach a peace agreement, instead of pressuring Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. 

Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump was asked how close he is to stepping back from the Russia-Ukraine War, and whether he would leave it “in the hands of Europeans.“

In response, Trump stated:

“I’m very disappointed in Russia, but I’m disappointed in Ukraine also because I think deals could have been made.”

Despite Russia’s previous rejection of a 30-day ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and ongoing escalation, Trump continued to place responsibility on both the aggressor and the invaded nation for the absence of a peace agreement.

He described the war as a “blood bath” and claimed, “we’re losing 5-6 thousand people a week, soldiers mostly but also people living in towns because they’re getting hit by missiles again. How’d you like to live in a building and think a missile has a good chance of hitting your building during the evening? It’s horrible.” 

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Trump touts past diplomatic efforts

Trump shifted to discussing other international conflicts, referencing alleged diplomatic achievements he claimed to have been involved in:

“We did great with India and Pakistan, we did very good with Israel.”

He mentioned the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and against claimed that “None of these things would have happened if I were president.”

Then Trump also criticized former President Joe Biden’s Iran policies, claiming that Iran “was broke” and “Biden immediately let them get rich—$300 billion they have right now,” which allegedly enabled Tehran to support Hamas and Hezbollah.

Then Trump said oil prices helped sustain Russia’s war:

“Oil went so high, got close to $100 a barrel… that kept the war going with Putin because at $100 a barrel, that was a big money-making experience.”

On 7 June 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot that direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia remain essential for ending the war, according to a readout from the US Department of State.

Rubio brings up direct talks in phone call with Barrot

The US State Department reported that Rubio and Barrot spoke about global security developments. According to the official readout,

“Secretary Rubio underscored the importance of continued direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a lasting peace.”

In the same 7 June call, Rubio and Barrot “reaffirmed their shared commitment to preventing Iran from developing or obtaining a nuclear weapon.” They also discussed support for Israel and emphasized the need to free hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. However, the focus on Ukraine again highlighted Washington’s ongoing strategy of promoting negotiations with Russia.

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Diplomatic pressure unchanged despite lack of results

Despite all the diplomatic efforts, Russia continues to demand Kyiv’s de facto capitulation, repeating its initial full-scale invasion objectives from 2022.

Rubio’s message comes days after a 2 June meeting in Istanbul between Ukrainian and Russian low-level representatives, where both sides agreed to a new exchange of prisoners and fallen soldiers.

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However, Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsya said that Russia again rejected an unconditional ceasefire.