US could drop Ukraine ceasefire effort 'within days,' warns Rubio
Published: 06:04 PM,Apr 18,2025 | EDITED : 10:04 PM,Apr 18,2025
France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) next to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris. — AFP
KYIV: The US government will abandon efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine if meaningful progress is not achieved within 'a matter of days,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday, as Washington and Kyiv reportedly agreed a controversial minerals deal.
'If it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on,' he said before departing Paris, where he took part in high-level talks between Ukraine's European allies and representatives from Kyiv about the war on Thursday.
Rubio's warnings came hours before Vice President JD Vance said he was 'optimistic' about negotiations, as he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome.
President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to quickly end the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia's full-scale attack more than three years ago.
Yet despite his administration's diplomatic push — and the president's own conversations with the leaders of both countries — progress has been limited, with few concessions being offered by Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russia remains open to dialogue, while insisting that its interests need to be respected.
'A number of difficult negotiations still lie ahead,' said Peskov, according to state news agency TASS. 'Russia is striving to resolve this conflict, to protect its own interests and is ready for dialogue.'
Peskov cited a 30-day moratorium on energy infrastructure attacks as a sign of progress on the pathway to peace, but he confirmed that it had expired on Thursday.
The deal never firmly took hold, with both Ukraine and Russia frequently accusing each other of violations.
Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not issued any orders to expand it, claiming that only Russia had adhered to the deal.
Rubio has met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in person in recent months in an effort to broker a truce.
The two spoke again by phone on Thursday, with the top US diplomat describing the call as 'constructive.'
But following talks in Paris on Thursday, Rubio outlined Washington's waning patience with the lack of progress on a ceasefire.
'We need to determine very quickly now and I'm talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable,' he stated.
'If it's not possible, if we're so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think the president is probably at a point where he's going to say, 'We're done.''
A more positive picture was offered by Vance on his visit to Rome.
'Since there are the negotiations, 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, without elaborating.
While a ceasefire appears out of reach at present, a raw materials agreement between Kyiv and Washington is set to be concluded by April 26, following final negotiations between Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and US officials.
A memorandum of understanding on the deal, signed by both sides on Thursday, was published by the Ukrainian government on Friday.
Few details, including financial terms, were revealed in the text.
But the final agreement is expected to provide the US with access to Ukraine's rare earths, which are crucial for high-tech industries.
Kyiv, in turn, hopes the deal will strengthen its relationship with the US and secure Washington's long-term support as a protective power. — dpa
'If it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on,' he said before departing Paris, where he took part in high-level talks between Ukraine's European allies and representatives from Kyiv about the war on Thursday.
Rubio's warnings came hours before Vice President JD Vance said he was 'optimistic' about negotiations, as he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome.
President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to quickly end the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia's full-scale attack more than three years ago.
Yet despite his administration's diplomatic push — and the president's own conversations with the leaders of both countries — progress has been limited, with few concessions being offered by Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russia remains open to dialogue, while insisting that its interests need to be respected.
'A number of difficult negotiations still lie ahead,' said Peskov, according to state news agency TASS. 'Russia is striving to resolve this conflict, to protect its own interests and is ready for dialogue.'
Peskov cited a 30-day moratorium on energy infrastructure attacks as a sign of progress on the pathway to peace, but he confirmed that it had expired on Thursday.
The deal never firmly took hold, with both Ukraine and Russia frequently accusing each other of violations.
Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not issued any orders to expand it, claiming that only Russia had adhered to the deal.
Rubio has met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in person in recent months in an effort to broker a truce.
The two spoke again by phone on Thursday, with the top US diplomat describing the call as 'constructive.'
But following talks in Paris on Thursday, Rubio outlined Washington's waning patience with the lack of progress on a ceasefire.
'We need to determine very quickly now and I'm talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable,' he stated.
'If it's not possible, if we're so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think the president is probably at a point where he's going to say, 'We're done.''
A more positive picture was offered by Vance on his visit to Rome.
'Since there are the negotiations, 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, without elaborating.
While a ceasefire appears out of reach at present, a raw materials agreement between Kyiv and Washington is set to be concluded by April 26, following final negotiations between Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and US officials.
A memorandum of understanding on the deal, signed by both sides on Thursday, was published by the Ukrainian government on Friday.
Few details, including financial terms, were revealed in the text.
But the final agreement is expected to provide the US with access to Ukraine's rare earths, which are crucial for high-tech industries.
Kyiv, in turn, hopes the deal will strengthen its relationship with the US and secure Washington's long-term support as a protective power. — dpa