US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Friday warned that Washington could walk away from its push to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within days, unless progress becomes visible soon.
Speaking in Paris after high-level discussions with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio said the Trump administration was assessing whether the effort remains viable.
“We’re not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end,” Rubio said. “So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks. If it is, we’re in. If it’s not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well”, he added.
The comments came following meetings hosted by France, the first since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration where top American, European and Ukrainian officials convened to discuss ending the war.
According to news agency AP, French officials expect a follow-up meeting in London early next week, which Rubio said he may attend.
Despite acknowledging “constructive” talks and an emerging outline for a peace framework, Rubio stressed urgency. “We need to figure out here now within a matter of days whether this is doable in the short term, because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on,” he told reporters at Le Bourget airport.
Efforts by Rubio and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff have included multiple rounds of negotiation in Saudi Arabia and at least three meetings between Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, Russia has so far refused a comprehensive ceasefire proposed by Trump and supported by Ukraine, demanding Kyiv halt military mobilisation and Western arms supplies, conditions rejected by Ukraine.
Trump, who had pledged during his campaign to end the war within 24 hours of taking office, later said a deal could come by April or May. But talks have dragged amid escalating disagreements, including a public spat in February between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
Trump added fuel to the tension Thursday by saying, “I don’t hold Zelenskyy responsible but I’m not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started”. He added, “I’m not blaming him, but what I am saying is that I wouldn’t say he’s done the greatest job, OK? I am not a big fan.”
Zelenskyy, earlier in the week, invited Trump to visit Ukraine to witness the war’s destruction firsthand, an invitation that Trump dismissed with threats directed at CBS, which aired the Ukrainian president’s interview.
Meanwhile, both sides have moved closer to a controversial minerals agreement.
According to The New York Times, a memorandum of understanding was signed Thursday between Kyiv and Washington, paving the way for a future deal on Ukraine’s strategic resources.
