President Donald Trump appeared to distance the U.S. from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine — just two days after speaking over the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Trump, who called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday before speaking to Putin and after with European leaders, told reporters Wednesday that the conflict didn’t involve the U.S., despite the fact that the U.S. has adopted the role of mediator between the two countries since Trump came into the White House in January. 

"It's not our people, it's not our soldiers … it's Ukraine and it's Russia," Trump said in the Oval Office Wednesday while hosting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, May 21, 2025, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

Trump also mentioned speaking with Zelenskyy while the Ukrainian president was traveling to South Africa. Zelenskyy visited Ramaphosa in April, but cut his trip short amid attacks from Russia against Kyiv. 

"I called Zelensky and they said, he's in South Africa. I said, what the hell is he doing in South Africa?" Trump said. 

Ramaphosa responded that Zelenskyy was talking with South Africa speaking with him about securing peace. 

"He's trying to make peace," he said. 

Trump also said Wednesday he believed he "made a lot of progress" with Putin in his Monday call, during which both countries ultimately agreed to a ceasefire and to advance peace talks. However, Trump also indicated that both Moscow and Kyiv would need to take the lead on future talks. 

"The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know the details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of," Trump said in a Monday post on Truth Social. 

Later Monday, Trump told reporters that he was willing to walk away from the talks if a breakthrough didn't occur. He also echoed similar sentiments creating space between the U.S. from the conflict, labeling the matter a uniquely "European situation." 

"Big egos involved, but I think something's going to happen," Trump told reporters Monday. "And if it doesn't, I'll just back away and they'll have to keep going. This was a European situation. It should have remained a European situation."

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that Trump was growing "frustrated" with both Russia and Ukraine amid the conflict and ongoing negotiations. 

Putin and Trump shaking hands during a meeting 

Trump and other members of his administration have signaled in recent weeks that the U.S. is willing to step aside from peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. For example, Vice President JD Vance said Monday that the discussions between the two had reached a bit of an "impasse" and that the U.S. was "more than willing" to step aside from the talks. 

"There is fundamental mistrust between Russia and the West. It's one of the things the president thinks is, frankly, stupid," Vance told reporters Monday. "That we should be able to move beyond. The mistakes that have been made in the past, but ... That takes two to tango." 

"I know the president's willing to do that, but if Russia's not willing to that then we're eventually just going to have to say... This is not our war," Vance said. "It's Joe Biden's war, it's Vladimir Putin's war. It's not our war. We're going to try to end it, but if we can't end it we're eventually going to say, you know what? That was worth a try, but we're not doing it anymore."

Separately, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said sanctions against Russia could increase if Russia fails to cooperate. 

"President Trump has made it very clear that if President Putin does not negotiate in good faith that the United States will not hesitate to up the Russia sanctions along with our European partners," Bessent said Sunday in an interview with NBC.