US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday that unless progress is not made immediately, Washington might withdraw from efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Rubio stated in a statement in Paris following intensive discussions with leaders from Europe and Ukraine that the Trump administration was looking into whether the work is still worthwhile.
Rubio said,” We won’t go on with this endeavor for weeks or months on close.” We need to know very rapidly now, and I’m talking about a matter of time whether or not this is feasible in the coming months. If so, we’re in. If it isn’t, therefore we also have other things to concentrate on,” he continued.
The comments were made after meetings held by France, the first such meetings since US President Donald Trump’s opening when senior American, German, and Polish officials met to discuss ending the conflict.
Rubio said he might enter a follow-up meeting in London early next year, according to reports company AP.
Rubio stressed the need despite acknowledging” creative” discussions and a developing framework for a peace platform. He told investigators at Le Bourget air-port,” We need to find out around right away whether this is feasible in the short term, because I believe we’re going to move on.”
Several rounds of negotiations between Rubio and Trump’s negotiator Steve Witkoff and at least three sessions between Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been a part of their work.
Russia has, but, so far resisted Trump’s and Ukraine’s proposed complete ceasefire, requesting that Kyiv stop its military operations and Western arms purchases, conditions that Ukraine rejected.
Trump, who earlier promised to end the war within 24 hours of taking office, afterwards said a bargain might be reached by April or May. However, discussions have stalled as a result of growing conflicts, including a heated argument between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was imprisoned in February.
Trump heightened the conflict on Thursday by saying,” I don’t hold Zelenskyy responsible but I’m not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started.” He continued,” I’m not blaming him, but what I’m saying is that I wouldn’t say he’s done the greatest job, OK.” I don’t really like fans.
Trump declined the invitation earlier this week by threatening to speak with CBS about the meeting with the Russian president. Zelenskyy earlier in the week invited Trump to a trip to Ukraine to see the destruction of the war.
In the interim, both parties have gotten closer to a contentious minerals deal.
A memorandum of understanding between Kyiv and Washington was signed on Thursday, according to The New York Times, opening the door to a possible future agreement regarding Ukraine’s corporate resources.
