US may soon abandon Ukraine peace push, Trump and Rubio say
PARIS/WASHINGTON—The United States will walk away from efforts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal unless there are clear signs of progress soon, US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
“Quickly, we want to get it done,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Now if for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say, ‘you’re foolish, you’re fools, you’re horrible people, and we’re going to just take a pass. But hopefully we won’t have to do that.”
Trump’s comments followed remarks by Rubio, his top diplomat, who said the sides had just days to show progress or Washington would walk.
“We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end. 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,” Rubio said in Paris after meeting European and Ukrainian leaders.
“If it’s not possible, if we’re so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think the president is probably at a point where he’s going to say, ‘well, we’re done.’”
Trump, when asked, declined to set a specific deadline for how long he was willing to wait.
“Marco’s right in saying … we want to see it end,” Trump said. Asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin was stalling, Trump replied: “I hope not.”
‘Grown elusive’
Over the past few weeks, Trump officials have acknowledged privately that the chances of a quick peace deal in Ukraine have grown elusive.
Rubio’s comments, three European diplomats said, reflected growing frustration in the White House over Russian intransigence to end the war.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said some progress on a peace settlement had already been made but that contacts with Washington were difficult.
He said Russia was striving to resolve the conflict while ensuring its own interests.
Moscow remained open to dialogue with the United States, he added.
US officials were also frustrated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s comment this week that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was “spreading Russian narratives,” and said that was not helpful to the process, one US official said.
Substantive in Paris
The talks in Paris on Thursday were the first substantive, high-level and in-person talks on Trump’s peace push that have included European powers.
Rubio said a US peace framework he presented received an “encouraging reception.”
Zelenskyy’s office called the talks constructive and positive.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking in Rome as he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, said he was optimistic the United States could help end this “very brutal war.”
A US official said the sides would reengage in London next week, giving Ukraine time to agree fully to a “term sheet” presented by Washington.
Kyiv was ready for a comprehensive ceasefire over sea, land and air for at least 30 days or longer, the official said.
Trump promised during his election campaign to end the war in Ukraine within his first 24 hours in the White House. He moderated that claim on taking office, suggesting a deal by April or May as obstacles mounted.
Nothing more
He has pressured both sides to come to the negotiating table, threatening tougher sanctions on Russia or an end to billions of dollars in US military support for Kyiv.
Both Ukraine and Russia showed up for US-brokered talks in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in a partial ceasefire, but nothing more.
Meanwhile, the war has continued, including a recent Russian missile attack that hit Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, killing 35 people—an attack Trump called a “mistake.”
A source familiar with internal deliberations said Trump had made clear to his team he was questioning whether it was worthwhile sticking with the talks to break the impasse.
The first US official said Rubio’s comments were reflecting Trump’s frustration with the issue and a concern that this will soon be “Trump’s war.”
Unclear impact
If Washington walks away, efforts to broker a peace would likely founder because no other nation is able to bring similar pressure on both Moscow and Kyiv.
Other impacts are unclear. The United States could keep its current policy on the conflict unchanged, maintaining sanctions on Russia and keeping US aid flowing to Kyiv. Alternatively, Trump could decide to halt payments to Ukraine.
Trump said on Thursday he expected to sign a minerals deal with Kyiv next week after an attempt in February fell apart following Zelenskyy’s Oval Office clash with Vance and the Republican president.
