State Department: "Concrete proposals" needed from parties in Ukraine talks; U.S. may step back as mediator

A State Department spokesperson said the United States expects "concrete proposals" from both parties to advance negotiations over the conflict in Ukraine, and warned that "if there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process." The comment followed reporters' questions about continued Russian bombing and proposals for ceasefires.

When pressed about whether the United States would consider conditions such as demilitarization of Ukraine as part of a peace plan, the spokesperson declined to speculate on options or to pre-empt discussions by diplomats, saying it would be "harmful to get ahead" of those deliberations. The spokesperson added that how the U.S. proceeds "is a decision that belongs now to the president." The remarks echoed the secretary's directive, as relayed by the spokesperson, that both parties now must deliver concrete proposals.

Reporters pressed on timing; the spokesperson said they would not speculate on timelines tied to the president's decisions but repeated the department's expectation that proposals be delivered. The spokesperson also said they had "nothing to report" about additional follow-up conversations between the secretary and Ukrainian or European counterparts at the time of the briefing.