US will abandon Ukraine peace efforts if no progress made soon, Rubio says
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, 2nd left, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 3rd left, Germany national security advisor Jens Plotner, 5th left, meet with France's Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, right, Ukrainian Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, 2nd right, French President diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne, 3rd right, Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, 4th right, and UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Ludovic Marin, Pool Photo via AP)
Marco Rubio has hinted that the US could abandon Russia-Ukraine peace talks after a meeting in Paris on ending the war that David Lammy said underscored the “shared commitment to global security”.
The US secretary of state said Washington may be ready to “move on” if there is no progress on a peace deal in the coming days.
Mr Rubio was in the French capital on Thursday for talks with UK, EU and Ukrainian delegations and a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron.
Meanwhile the US and Ukraine signed a memorandum as a first step towards the stalled minerals deal, Ukraine’s economy minister said.
As he left Paris, Mr Rubio told reporters the US administration wants to figure out “very soon, and I’m talking about a matter of days, not a matter of weeks” whether or not the war can be ended.
“If it can, we’re prepared to do whatever we can to facilitate that and make sure that it … ends in a durable and just way.
“If it’s not possible, if we’re so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think the president’s probably at a point where he’s going to say, well, we’re done.”
He added: “We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this is doable in the short term, because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on.”
The meetings came as European concerns grow about Mr Trump’s readiness to draw closer to Russia.
Mr Rubio and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff have helped lead US efforts to seek peace. Several rounds of negotiations have been held in Saudi Arabia. Mr Witkoff has met three times with Vladimir Putin, Mr Rubio said.
Moscow has effectively refused to accept a comprehensive ceasefire that Mr Trump has pushed and Ukraine has endorsed.
Russia has made it conditional on a halt in Ukraine’s mobilisation efforts and Western arms supplies, which are demands rejected by Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the UK and France have been seeking to assemble a coalition of nations that would be willing to defend a truce if one is reached.
British foreign secretary Mr Lammy said after the Paris talks that “unity is our strength”.
“Today’s meetings with France, the US, Ukraine, and Germany underscore our shared commitment to global security,” he said.
He added: “We are working hard with allies to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine.
“Russia must agree to an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire as Ukraine has done.”
Ukraine’s economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a post on X that a memorandum of intent with the US has been signed for an economic partnership agreement between the two nations.
It was a step towards an agreement that would grant the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.
A final deal would also involve an investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Ms Svyrydenko said.
US officials expressed hope that an accord could be completed by the end of next week.
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