The United States will pull out of efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine unless significant progress is made within days, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday. Speaking from the White House, Trump said, “If one of the two parties makes it difficult, we’re just going to say, ‘you’re foolish, you’re horrible people, and we’ll walk away.’ But hopefully, we won’t have to do that.”
Trump’s comments echoed those of Rubio, who, after meeting with European and Ukrainian leaders in Paris, emphasized that the U.S. would not continue its peace efforts indefinitely. “We need to determine quickly, within days, if this is achievable in the next few weeks,” Rubio said. “If not, then I think the president is at a point where he’ll walk away.”
Trump, when pressed on a specific deadline, did not provide one but reiterated the desire to see the conflict end soon. When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin was delaying the talks, Trump responded, “I hope not.”
In recent weeks, U.S. officials have privately acknowledged that the prospect of a swift peace deal in Ukraine appears increasingly unlikely. Rubio’s comments reflected growing frustration within the White House over Russia’s reluctance to bring the war to a close. Russian officials, including Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, have said that some progress has been made, but acknowledged that communication with Washington remains challenging. Peskov stated that Russia is committed to resolving the conflict while safeguarding its own interests, and remains open to dialogue with the U.S.
The talks in Paris marked the first significant, in-person discussions involving European powers regarding Trump’s peace initiative. Rubio described the reception of a U.S. peace framework as “encouraging,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office called the talks “constructive” and “positive.”
