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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right), U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (center), and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, following a joint press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 6 (local time). / Reuters, Yonhap

The mediation diplomacy pursued by the Donald Trump administration to end the Russia-Ukraine war is drifting off course amid mounting friction between the U.S. and Ukraine.

As President Trump's special envoy delegation abruptly put its scheduled follow-up mediation itinerary on hold, the peace negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia has been temporarily suspended.

According to The New York Times on the 12th (local time), a planned trip to Moscow by President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss ending the war was canceled.

A source familiar with the talks noted that the U.S. envoy delegation's visit to Russia has been deferred until relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump recover.

This decision came after high-level working talks among the U.S., Ukraine, and European partners held at the Shell Bay Golf Club in Florida on the 9th concluded without progress after failing to find common ground.

During the talks, President Trump stated that sanctions on imports of Russian diesel would be waived to stabilize domestic fuel prices in the U.S., demanding that Ukraine halt its strikes against Russian oil refineries.

When Ukrainian officials requested reciprocal measures in response, the U.S. side replied that Washington was already doing plenty for Ukraine, making any transaction unnecessary.

In this exchange, the continuation of U.S. military intelligence sharing was brought to the table, escalating the standoff between both sides, The New York Times reported.

President Zelenskyy criticized the arrangement between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin allowing Russian diesel imports as a weak decision, to which President Trump countered by asserting that Ukraine needs a new president.

In public remarks over the weekend, President Trump singled out President Zelenskyy, calling for an immediate halt to attacks on Russian refineries. He then claimed on social media that an energy truce had been reached between the two nations, though neither Russia nor Ukraine confirmed any formal agreement.

Meanwhile, European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, issued statements backing President Zelenskyy, while U.S. lawmakers also criticized the diesel agreement, arguing it essentially bankrolls Russia's war effort.

                                                                                                         Lee Jeong-eun