Chicago – April 18, 2025
The United States may abandon its efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine if there are no signs of significant progress in the coming days, U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday.
Trump emphasized the urgency of reaching a resolution, stating, “We want to get it done quickly. If one of the parties complicates the process, we will say, ‘You’re being foolish,’ and step away from the negotiations, though we hope that won’t happen.”
Rubio, speaking in Paris after meeting with European and Ukrainian leaders, echoed the sentiment, saying the two sides have only a few days to show progress or the U.S. will disengage. “We’re not going to continue for weeks or months. We need to determine within days if this is feasible in the near future,” Rubio said. “If we’re too far apart, the president will likely decide that it’s time to end the effort.”
Trump did not specify a concrete deadline but indicated that time was running out. According to several European diplomats, Rubio’s remarks reflected growing frustration in the White House over Russia’s reluctance to negotiate a resolution to the conflict.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that some progress had been made in peace talks but noted that discussions with Washington had been challenging. He reiterated Russia’s commitment to resolving the conflict while protecting its interests and expressed openness to further dialogue with the U.S.
Thursday’s meeting in Paris marked the first significant in-person discussions on Trump’s peace initiative, which involved European powers. Rubio reported that the U.S. peace framework received a positive reception, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office describing the talks as constructive and optimistic.
