PARIS/WASHINGTON, April 18 – The United States is prepared to step away from its efforts to mediate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine if tangible progress isn't made soon, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday, signaling growing impatience in Washington.
“We want this done quickly,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “But if one side is just being unreasonable or dragging things out, we’re going to walk away. We’ll say, ‘You’re fools, we’re done,’ and move on. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”
Rubio, echoing Trump’s urgency during a press briefing in Paris, said there are only days left to determine if a resolution is even possible. “We’re not going to keep at this indefinitely. If it becomes clear that we’re not going to get anywhere in the next few weeks, then we’re out,” he said, following meetings with European and Ukrainian officials.
Although Trump declined to set a firm deadline, he agreed with Rubio’s stance. “We want to see peace. That’s what Marco’s saying, and he’s right,” Trump said. Asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was intentionally stalling the process, he replied: “I hope not.”
Behind the scenes, senior U.S. officials have reportedly admitted that hopes for a quick agreement are fading. Three European diplomats said Rubio’s comments reflect the growing frustration within the Trump administration, especially over Russia’s rigid stance.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged some headway in negotiations but said talks with the U.S. remained challenging. Russia, he noted, is committed to ending the conflict—but only in a way that secures its strategic interests.
Tensions have also risen over recent remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who accused U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff of “spreading Russian narratives.” U.S. officials called the comments unhelpful at a sensitive time.
The Paris meeting marked the first in-person, high-level discussion including the U.S., European nations, and Ukraine under Trump’s peace initiative. Rubio said the framework he presented was “well received,” and Zelenskiy’s office described the talks as “constructive.”
Vice President JD Vance, speaking in Rome during talks with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, voiced cautious optimism. “We believe the U.S. can help bring an end to this brutal war,” he said.
According to a senior U.S. official, the parties are expected to meet again in London next week. Ukraine has shown willingness to agree to a 30-day ceasefire over land, sea, and air to allow for more detailed negotiations.
Frustrations Mount as War Grinds On
During his presidential campaign, Trump famously vowed to end the war within 24 hours of taking office. While that promise has since softened, he continued to push for a resolution by spring.
Trump has been applying pressure to both Moscow and Kyiv, threatening harsher sanctions on Russia or potentially cutting military aid to Ukraine altogether.
So far, talks have produced limited outcomes. The U.S.-brokered meeting in Saudi Arabia led to a partial ceasefire, but the violence continues—including a recent Russian missile strike on Sumy that killed 35 people. Trump condemned the attack as a “mistake.”
A source familiar with White House discussions said Trump is questioning whether it’s even worth continuing the negotiations. Rubio’s comments, the source added, signal that the president doesn’t want this conflict to become “Trump’s war.”
If the U.S. pulls out, it's unclear what impact that would have. Washington may keep its current policy—sanctions on Russia and continued aid to Kyiv—or Trump might choose to halt payments altogether.
Despite the tension, Trump revealed on Thursday that he expects to finalize a minerals deal with Ukraine next week. A similar effort in February collapsed after a heated exchange between Zelenskiy and Vice President Vance at the White House.
Rubio, who debriefed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the Paris meetings, said key parts of the U.S. proposal were shared.
Putin, for his part, is demanding that Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations, cede four occupied regions to Russia, and drastically reduce its military. Kyiv has flatly rejected those conditions as surrender.
In a notable development, Bloomberg reported that Washington might be prepared to recognize Russian control over Crimea—annexed by Moscow in 2014—as part of a broader peace deal.
Rubio said European nations would play a vital role in any agreement, especially regarding the lifting of sanctions on Russia. As for the question of U.S. security guarantees to Ukraine, he remained cautiously hopeful: “That’s something we can solve. But we’ve got bigger hurdles to clear first.”
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