Last week, I reported that the White House was losing interest in Ukraine and would begin deprioritizing any serious peace negotiations moving forward.
Today confirmed it.
At a televised Cabinet meeting, Ukraine, Russia, and any mention of a proposed peace accord were entirely absent from the administration’s summary of U.S. foreign policy priorities. The omission wasn’t subtle—it was glaring, unmistakable, and full of meaning.
Donald Trump, on the campaign trail, promised no fewer than one hundred times that he would end the war in Ukraine “in a day.” Today, his administration couldn’t be bothered to mention it at all.
Iran was discussed at length. China, too. But not one word on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
So, why has Ukraine fallen off the list of U.S. priorities?
The answer is clear:
The White House True Objective is Normalization of Relations with Russia and a New Alliance
Russia has no interest in peace—unless “peace” means the complete subjugation of Ukraine to Kremlin control. Without sustained military and economic pressure, Russia has no reason to stop the rapes, the executions, the missile strikes on children. The White House knows this. Everyone does. But it is politically advantageous for the administration to pretend that Russia is open to peace—if only to provide cover for a broader goal: normalizing relations with Moscow.
If Trump Can’t Have a Victory, He Needs a Delay, and then a Scapegoat
There’s no path to victory for Trump here. No Nobel Peace Prize. No campaign promise fulfilled. So, the emerging strategy is delay. Stall the process. Undermine the Ukrainian government. Let public interest fade. When the time is right, declare peace unattainable—and blame Ukraine.
The Strategy of Unilateral Concession to Russia Has Brought More Innocent Death
The president’s approach—offering unilateral concessions to Russia while showing open disdain for Ukraine—has had predictable consequences: more death, more war crimes, and greater confidence in Moscow that they can act without fear of consequence. The Russian military has ramped up its attacks on civilians, and with each passing day, the cost of this strategic retreat grows.
Whether the peace process is formally scrapped or just quietly shelved, the underlying objective remains unchanged: rebuild economic, cultural, and even military ties with Russia. This realignment is already in motion, developing behind closed doors.
In the clip above, you can see Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivering his full report.
To their credit, one reporter did ask about Chinese troops reportedly fighting for Russia inside Ukraine.
In response, President Trump gave a now-familiar refrain:
“We’re looking into it.”
“This war would never have happened if I had been president.”
“We want to end the war because boys on both sides are dying.”
“We’re talking to Russia and Ukraine and making great progress.”
Notably, President Trump answered the reporter by talking about the death of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, but not a peep about the murder of 9 children this last week and just under a hundred murdered or injured civilians because of Russian military strikes on non combatants.
Translation: This peace process is a political loser. There will be no clean win here. The president is 100% a paper tiger when it comes to Russia. The campaign promise is broken. The issue is fading. The White House has moved on. The priority now is delay and damage control—and forging a friendship with Moscow, no matter the cost.
Marco Rubio’s message: Ukraine - well, let’s talk about something else.
DW Phillips is an attorney, a journalist and a filmmaker. He directs for Ukraine Story, a foundation for documentary reporting.
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