Rubio: US Will Halt Ukraine Peace Efforts Without Quick Progress

• Secretary of State asserts the US must make a decision “within days.”
• Rubio notes “numerous other significant issues at play.”
• Trump pledged to conclude the war on his first day in office.

U.S. President Donald Trump is poised to abandon efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine in the coming days unless there are evident signs that an agreement is achievable, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who made the statement on Friday.

“We’re not going to prolong this process for weeks or months. We have to quickly ascertain, within days, if this is a viable option for the upcoming weeks,” Rubio said in Paris following discussions with Ukrainian and European leaders.

“The president is quite adamant about this. He’s invested considerable time and resources… While this is significant, there are many other pressing matters that require equally, if not more, attention.”

Rubio’s comments came as some positive developments were emerging from discussions between the U.S. and Ukraine.

On Thursday, Trump revealed he is hopeful to finalize an agreement with Kyiv next week that would grant the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. A prior attempt to establish a minerals agreement in February collapsed due to a dispute involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.

Following Thursday’s discussions in Paris—the first meaningful high-level talks on Trump’s diplomatic initiative that included European powers—Rubio mentioned that a U.S. framework for peace received a “positive response.” Zelenskiy’s office deemed the discussions constructive and favorable.

Rubio’s remarks on Friday reflect growing dissatisfaction within the White House due to a perceived lack of progress in addressing an expanding range of geopolitical challenges.

During his campaign, Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine within the first 24 hours of his presidency. Once in office, he adjusted that timeline, suggesting a potential agreement by April or May as various obstacles arose.

Rubio stated he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the Paris meeting, informing him about the substantial nature of the discussions, and providing insight into “some of the components” of the U.S. peace plan.

He indicated that security guarantees for the U.S. were a topic of discussion during the Paris meetings but refrained from providing extensive details.

Rubio expressed that the issue of security guarantees could be addressed in a way agreeable to all parties but emphasized that there are larger challenges that must be resolved, including the feasibility of achieving a deal in the near term.

“It’s clear that reaching a peace agreement will be challenging, but we need to see indications that it’s attainable soon,” he said.

“No one is claiming this can be settled in just 12 hours. However, we want to understand how far apart the parties stand and whether these differences can be narrowed in the timeframe we’re considering,” he added.

Requests for comments from the French presidency and foreign ministry have not yet received a response.