By The Sampadak Express
U.S. President Donald Trump could walk away from efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine within days unless progress is made, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday.
Speaking after high-level talks in Paris with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio emphasized the urgency of determining whether a peace agreement is realistically achievable. “We’re not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end,” he said. “We need to determine very quickly—within days—whether or not this is doable.”
His remarks come amid growing White House frustration over Russia’s resistance to compromise, despite reported progress in talks with Ukraine. Three European diplomatic sources told Reuters that while European powers responded positively to the U.S. peace framework, the lack of concessions from Moscow remains a major stumbling block.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged some progress but described talks with Washington as difficult. Russia, he said, remains open to dialogue, while insisting on safeguarding its national interests.
President Trump recently stated he expects to sign a minerals agreement with Ukraine next week, after previous talks collapsed following a tense Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Vice President JD Vance. Vance, speaking from Rome, expressed cautious optimism about ending the “very brutal war.”
The Paris discussions were the first in-person talks involving European nations under Trump’s renewed peace initiative. Rubio said the U.S. proposal was met with an “encouraging reception,” and Zelenskiy’s office described the talks as “constructive and positive.”
Mounting Pressure as War Drags On
Trump campaigned on a promise to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, later adjusting expectations to a peace deal by spring. With April nearing its end and little breakthrough, Washington’s patience appears to be running thin.
The U.S. has used both incentives and threats to push both sides toward negotiations, including the possibility of increasing sanctions on Russia or cutting military aid to Ukraine. Earlier U.S.-brokered talks in Saudi Arabia led to a partial ceasefire but failed to produce a lasting solution. Meanwhile, the conflict persists, including a recent Russian missile strike in Sumy that killed 35 civilians—a strike Trump labeled “a mistake.”
Without U.S. mediation, peace talks are likely to collapse, as no other country holds comparable leverage over both Moscow and Kyiv.
Key Sticking Points Remain
Putin continues to demand that Ukraine renounce its NATO ambitions, surrender control of four Russian-occupied regions, and reduce its military forces—conditions Kyiv deems equivalent to surrender.
Rubio noted that European involvement is essential to any final agreement, particularly as it may require lifting EU sanctions on Russia. He also said U.S. security guarantees were discussed and could be addressed “in a way acceptable to everyone.”
Despite the difficulties, Rubio stressed the need for immediate clarity. “We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this is doable in the short term. If it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on.”
