Both Russia and Ukraine are increasingly frustrated with the United States.

Both Russia and Ukraine appear to be increasingly frustrated with the US's mediating role and are beginning to look for alternatives, according to Foreignpolicy.

Both Russia and Ukraine are reportedly increasingly frustrated with the US's mediating role. (Illustration: Hotnews moldova1)

Last August, Russia touted the summit with the US in Alaska as a breakthrough in its fight to control Ukraine, and later romanticized the so-called “Anchorage spirit,” Foreignpolicy magazine wrote.

However, nearly a year later, that “spirit” has vanished. On Wednesday, senior Russian foreign policy chief Yuri Ushakov told Russian media: “I know nothing about the ‘Anchorage spirit.’ I’ve never used that phrase.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine is increasingly openly expressing its dissatisfaction with the US's mediating role, even as its military efforts begin to make some progress against Russia – pushing the two sides into an even more protracted war.

On the American side, the initial negotiations were led by Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer and friend of President Donald Trump, who later coordinated with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.

The Kremlin initially seemed willing to "woo" Witkoff's group, with him flying to Moscow to meet directly with President Vladimir Putin six times in lengthy negotiations, as well as meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia also sent businessman Kirill Dmitriev to represent the economic aspects of a US-Russia agreement concerning Ukraine.

However, despite concerted efforts from many sides, progress has been very limited. Russia has not abandoned its demand for complete control of Ukraine's Donbass region, while the US is unable or unwilling to pressure Ukraine to cede the area.

A senior European diplomat , not authorized to speak publicly, said they believe the US is frustrated that Ukraine is unwilling to relinquish Donbass despite pressure, but Washington believes that Russia will eventually take control of the region over time, thus opening the door to a peace deal.

Trump has repeatedly described Russia as the stronger party in the conflict, telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their February 2025 meeting that Ukraine “has no cards,” and declaring in December 2025 that Ukraine was “losing.” US Vice President JD Vance had previously also suggested that Ukraine was highly likely to lose Donbass.

However, the Trump administration still exercised certain restraints towards Kyiv: while reducing aid to Ukraine, Washington continued to sell weapons through NATO, provide intelligence support, and impose sanctions on Russian oil (although some of these measures have been eased).

Russia's initial enthusiasm for the US-led talks gradually waned. In March, Foreign Minister Lavrov said the "Anchorage spirit" was disappearing; by April, he stated that negotiations were no longer a "top priority" for Moscow.

"It's clear they're losing interest in negotiations," said John Herbst, senior director of the Asia-Europe Centre at the Atlantic Council.

It is worth noting that there is no certainty that Russia will actually seize Donbass as Vance predicts. Russia has recently been said to have made very little progress in the region and has even recently lost some positions in other areas.

Meanwhile, pressure from the White House on Ukraine inadvertently reduced US leverage, prompting Kyiv to lessen its dependence on Washington's aid. Following US cuts to military and humanitarian aid, Europe has largely filled the gap, according to the Kiel Institute for World Economy (Germany).

By April, defeating Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had freed up $104 billion from the European Union for Ukraine.

Ukraine has also significantly increased its domestic weapons production, including interceptor drones and ground robots. While still dependent on the US for missile defense (via Europe), the limited impact of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine's combat capabilities has significantly reduced US leverage in this area.

Ukraine's campaign against Russia is also beginning to yield results. Thanks to drones and new technology, Ukraine is eliminating Russian soldiers faster than Russia can replenish its forces. This is forcing the Kremlin to pressure students and businesses to recruit troops, raising the risk of internal instability.

Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil facilities are also eroding the energy-dependent economy, contributing to Russia's projected economic growth of only 0.4% this year.

All of this has made Ukraine increasingly confident in publicly criticizing the US. President Zelensky said in April that US negotiators “have no time for Ukraine.”

Amidst a growing distrust of the US-led process, both Ukraine and Russia have expressed willingness for Europe to play a mediating role. Zelensky has discussed with European Council President António Costa the possibility of increasing Europe's role, including the potential deployment of a special envoy to the negotiations. Several European leaders have considered figures such as Angela Merkel and Mario Draghi.

Meanwhile, President Putin proposed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder – who has close ties to Russia – as a mediator, but this proposal was rejected by Europe.

However, Europe's chances of succeeding where the US failed remain highly uncertain. At the very least, Europe will not use the same pressure tactics against Ukraine that the US employed, according to expert John Herbst.

Nevertheless, deep divisions exist within the EU regarding Russia, ranging from the hardline Baltic states to the more moderate Bulgarian stance.

"Europe may have started looking for a 'messenger,' but it's still a long way from agreeing on a 'message.' Until that happens, it's difficult to make progress," expert Peter Slezkine commented.

Source: https://danviet.vn/ca-nga-ukraine-deu-ngay-cang-that-vong-voi-my-d1428543.html