Rubio: U.S. Will End Ukraine-Russia Negotiations Without Quick Progress/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. will abandon its peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia if no breakthroughs occur within days. Talks in Paris showed tentative progress, but lingering differences persist. Meanwhile, Russia intensifies attacks on Ukrainian cities, complicating efforts toward a lasting ceasefire.
Ukraine Peace Negotiations – Quick Look
- Secretary of State Rubio warns U.S. may walk away from talks if no progress occurs soon
- Paris negotiations yield outlines for a peace framework, next round set for London
- U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement nears finalization, linked to broader peace efforts
- VP JD Vance expresses optimism after recent diplomatic developments
- Russia continues deadly strikes, including attacks on Kharkiv and Sumy
- Kremlin says it remains open to dialogue, but no Putin-Trump talks are scheduled
- Ceasefire supported by U.S. has expired, violations blamed on both sides
- European leaders join push, hoping to stabilize negotiations and avoid wider conflict
U.S. Signals It May Exit Ukraine Peace Talks if No Breakthrough in Coming Days
Deep Looks
PARIS (AP) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that Washington may abandon peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine unless progress is made “within days,” underscoring growing impatience in the Trump administration after months of stalled negotiations.
Rubio made the remarks after landmark talks in Paris, where American, European, and Ukrainian officials gathered in what appeared to be the most promising diplomatic session in recent months. With the next round scheduled for London next week, Rubio indicated it could determine whether the U.S. stays in the peace process.
“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on.”
Rubio said the Trump administration expects to make a decision within a matter of days.
Minerals Deal Moving Forward Alongside Peace Framework
Amid the diplomatic push, the U.S. and Ukraine also finalized a memorandum of intent on a long-awaited minerals access agreement that could significantly boost U.S. investments in Ukraine’s economy. The agreement would grant American companies preferential access to Ukraine’s rare earth and strategic minerals, key to electric vehicles and defense manufacturing.
“We have a minerals deal,” President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday.
Ukrainian Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said she signed the memorandum with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Negotiations had previously stalled following a contentious February Oval Office meeting involving Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Talks resumed quietly in March, culminating in Friday’s announcement.
Vance Cites “Important Developments” in Talks
In Rome, VP JD Vance signaled cautious optimism, suggesting real progress had been made in the past 24 hours.
“I won’t prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war, to a close,” Vance said.
Despite Rubio’s stern warnings, he called the Paris meetings “constructive” and declined to blame either Russia or Ukraine for lack of progress. He confirmed briefing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the peace outlines, but did not disclose Lavrov’s response.
Kremlin: Russia Open to Talks, No Putin-Trump Meeting Set
Responding to Rubio’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin remains engaged in “fairly complex” negotiations with U.S. diplomats and is open to continued dialogue.
“Russia is striving toward resolving this conflict, securing its own interests, and is open to dialogue,” Peskov told reporters.
However, he added that no direct talks between Presidents Trump and Putin are scheduled “in the coming days.”
Peskov acknowledged that the U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire, which both sides agreed to in principle last month, has expired, with no immediate plans to renew it.
Ceasefire Breaches Undermine Trust
The temporary ceasefire agreement, facilitated during separate rounds of U.S.-backed negotiations in Saudi Arabia, failed to hold. Both Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of violations within hours of the ceasefire start, citing differing interpretations of timing and scope.
The collapse of the truce now looms over current peace discussions, raising doubts about Russia’s willingness to fully commit and Ukraine’s ability to trust further assurances.
Europe Steps In to Salvage Talks
European nations, particularly the U.K., France, and Germany, have intensified their involvement. Rubio acknowledged their contributions in moving discussions forward.
“The U.K. and France and Germany can help us move the ball on this,” he said.
The Paris talks were the first high-level meeting between top U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials on the war since Trump returned to office. The summit also addressed postwar security guarantees for Ukraine, though Rubio declined to elaborate on what role the U.S. might play.
Russia Renews Attacks as Talks Continue
As diplomatic channels remain open, Russian forces launched renewed attacks on Ukrainian cities, killing and injuring civilians and damaging key infrastructure.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a barrage of cluster munitions killed one person and wounded 98 others, including six children, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
In Sumy, a Russian drone struck a bakery Friday morning, killing a customer and injuring an employee, just days after a Palm Sunday missile strike in the same city left 34 people dead.
Photos released by Ukrainian officials show Easter cakes buried under rubble, symbolizing the war’s encroachment on civilian life.
These attacks follow an April 4 strike in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, that killed 20 people, including nine children, according to Ukrainian officials.
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