US President Donald Trump is prepared to abandon attempts to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine within days if there are no clear indications that progress is possible, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
Speaking in Paris, Rubio said: "We're not going to continue with this endeavour 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."
"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'."
Speaking to Reuters, European diplomatic sources said that Rubio's remarks, which came amid signs of some progress in US talks with Ukraine, highlighted growing frustration within the White House over Russia's refusal to end the war.
Rubio mentioned that the US peace framework he presented received an 'encouraging reception'
REUTERS
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that some progress had been made on a peace settlement but noted that discussions with Washington remained challenging.
He emphasised that Russia was working to resolve the conflict while safeguarding its own interests and remained open to dialogue with the United States.
On Thursday, Trump stated he expected to sign a minerals deal with Kyiv next week, following the collapse of a similar attempt in February after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's confrontation with Vice President JD Vance and Trump in the Oval Office.
Vance, speaking in Rome during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, expressed optimism that the United States could help bring an end to the "very brutal war".
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Thursday's talks in Paris marked the first substantive, high-level, in-person discussions on Trump's peace initiative that involved European powers.
Rubio mentioned that the US peace framework he presented received an "encouraging reception," while Zelensky's office described the talks as constructive and positive.
Paris, London, Berlin, and Kyiv did not immediately react to Rubio's comments, which highlighted increasing frustration in the White House over the slow progress in resolving a growing array of global challenges.
Trump had pledged during his campaign to end the war in Ukraine within his first 24 hours in office.
On Thursday, Trump stated he expected to sign a minerals deal with Kyiv next week, following the collapse of a similar attempt in February after Zelensky's confrontation with JD Vance and Trump in the Oval Office
REUTERS
Yet, after taking office, he tempered that expectation, indicating that a deal might be possible by April or May, as complications mounted.
He has pushed both parties to negotiate, threatening stricter sanctions on Russia or an end to billions in US military aid to Ukraine.
Both Ukraine and Russia participated in US-facilitated talks in Saudi Arabia, which led to a partial ceasefire, but little else.
