Trump distances himself from Russia–Ukraine conflict: 'Not our people, not our soldiers'

President Donald Trump appeared to region the U.S. from the struggle betwixt Russia and Ukraine — conscionable 2 days aft speaking implicit the telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Trump, who called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday after speaking to Putin, told reporters Wednesday that the struggle didn’t impact the U.S., contempt the information that the U.S. has adopted the relation of mediator betwixt the 2 countries since Trump came into the White House successful January. 

"It's not our people, it's not our soldiers … it's Ukraine and it's Russia," Trump said successful the Oval Office Wednesday portion hosting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa successful the Oval Office of the White House, May 21, 2025, successful Washington. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

Trump besides mentioned speaking with Zelenskyy portion the Ukrainian president was traveling to South Africa. Zelenskyy visited Ramaphosa successful April, but chopped his travel abbreviated amid attacks from Russia against Kyiv. 

"I called Zelensky and they said, he's successful South Africa. I said, what the hellhole is helium doing successful South Africa?" Trump said. 

Ramaphosa responded that Zelenskyy was talking with South Africa speaking with him astir securing peace. 

"He's trying to marque peace, are we," helium said. 

Trump besides said Wednesday helium believed helium "made a batch of progress" with Putin successful his Monday call, during which some countries yet agreed to a ceasefire and to beforehand bid talks. However, Trump besides indicated that some Moscow and Kyiv would request to instrumentality the pb connected aboriginal talks. 

"The conditions for that volition beryllium negotiated betwixt the 2 parties, arsenic it tin lone be, due to the fact that they cognize the details of a dialog that cipher other would beryllium alert of," Trump said successful a Monday station connected Truth Social. 

Putin and Trump shaking hands during a meeting 

Trump and different members of his medication person signaled successful caller weeks that the U.S. is consenting to measurement speech from bid talks betwixt Moscow and Kyiv. For example, Vice President JD Vance said Monday that the discussions betwixt the 2 had reached a spot of an "impasse" and that the U.S. was "more than willing" to measurement speech from the talks. 

"There is cardinal mistrust betwixt Russia and the West. It's 1 of the things the president thinks is, frankly, stupid," Vance told reporters Monday. "That we should beryllium capable to determination beyond. The mistakes that person been made successful the past, but ... That takes 2 to tango." 

"I cognize the president's consenting to bash that, but if Russia's not consenting to that past we're yet conscionable going to person to say... This is not our war," Vance said. "It's Joe Biden's war, it's Vladimir Putin's war. It's not our war. We're going to effort to extremity it, but if we can't extremity it we're yet going to say, you cognize what? That was worthy a try, but we're not doing it anymore."

This is simply a breaking quality communicative and volition beryllium updated.