State Department says door remains open for Ukraine peace talks; cites Security Council statement backing end to conflict

Tammy Bruce, speaking for the U.S. Department of State, said the United States remains willing to engage in talks if President Zelensky or Ukrainian leaders demonstrate readiness for a negotiated settlement. She declined to discuss intelligence sharing or operational diplomatic details.

Bruce described the battlefield in Ukraine as a "stalemate" and said the secretary has called it a "meat grinder," noting heavy casualties. She said a recent U.N. Security Council statement calling for an end to the conflict passed without opposition and that U.S. leadership played a role in that outcome.

"We will not discuss issues of intelligence or diplomatic agreements or the sharing of information," Bruce said when asked whether a Ukrainian letter and apology met standards for restoring intelligence cooperation. She added that if Ukrainian leaders "become ready for peace he can come back to the table."

Reporters also asked whether European peacekeepers were an option and about Russian responses. Bruce declined to comment on foreign ministers' statements and focused on U.S. actions and commitments under the secretary and president.

Why it matters: The briefing reiterated that the administration sees an open door for diplomatic steps toward peace but stressed that operational and intelligence matters are not being discussed publicly. The Security Council statement was presented as a diplomatic success for the U.S. effort to assemble international pressure for an end to hostilities.

Bruce said the secretary and president view an end to the violence as imperative and that American support for Ukraine to date has been substantial; she framed further engagement as conditional on Ukrainian readiness to negotiate.