As Ukraine and Russia traded blows and advanced to a second round of negotiations on Monday, the Donald Trump administration remained silent, confirming a previously announced, but subtle, shift in U.S. strategy regarding war mediation.

President Trump made no public statement about Ukraine’s surprise drone attacks inside Russian territory – attacks that occurred just before the second meeting of delegations from the two countries in Istanbul.

The negotiations largely followed the same model as that of the first meeting in May, which was held under the auspices of Washington. Foreign Minister Marko Rubio was present then, although the US had described that first round as disappointing, as Moscow was represented only by service-level diplomats.

In the second round, the participation of Rubio and other senior Trump administration officials was even more limited, as were expectations for positive results.

The State Department said Rubio had a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in which he “reiterated President Trump’s call for continued direct talks aimed at a lasting peace.” However, it was noted that the call was made at the request of the Russian side.

The talks ended without any substantive outcome, with the US calling “predictably disappointing” the excessive Russian demands for Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire – demands deemed unacceptable by both Kiev and Washington.

Diplomatic fatigue

Sources close to President Trump expressed to the ABC network his growing dissatisfaction with the lack of progress, noting that in recent days, he appears to have become even more detached. Though he has previously threatened new sanctions against Russia, there was no sign of that threat materializing until Monday.

Meanwhile, military operations between the two sides have intensified. On Sunday, Ukraine launched coordinated drone attacks on Russian airports – an action that had been in the works for a year and was carried out thanks to the covert transfer of drones within Russian territory.

On the same day, Russia responded with a massive attack, using 472 suicide drones and numerous missiles, ballistic and cruise missiles, in one of the heaviest strikes since the start of the war.

Political pressure on the White House

Trump’s inaction is also causing discontent within the US.“The president wants a ceasefire. But that is only possible if he goes ahead with the ‘overwhelming’ sanctions he has threatened,” former ambassador May said.

Republican Senator Linsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal traveled to Kyiv over the weekend, where they held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two senators are drafting a bill that would impose a 500% tariff on any country that continues to buy Russian energy.

For its part, Moscow appears confident about its position on the battlefield, hoping that the rising temperatures on the southern fronts will offer it opportunities for territorial gains and a strengthening of its negotiating position.

In an analysis, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Russia“remains committed to broader territorial objectives, well beyond the four regions it has illegally annexed“, and shows “no interest in sincere negotiations.”