PARIS — The Trump administration may abandon its efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within days if negotiators fail to make headway, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Friday.
“We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end,” Rubio said following a day of high-level meetings in Paris with European and Ukrainian leaders. “We need to determine very quickly now—and I’m talking about a matter of days—whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks. If it is, we’re in. If it’s not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well.”
Rubio described the talks as constructive and confirmed that a framework for peace had been outlined. Another meeting with the same participants is expected to take place in London in the coming days, and Rubio indicated he may attend.
President Trump, who campaigned on a promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, has since tempered expectations, projecting a peace deal by April or May as diplomatic challenges piled up.
France hosted the latest round of talks, the first known instance since Trump’s inauguration where top U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials met jointly to discuss ending the conflict. The meetings came amid growing European unease over Trump’s willingness to negotiate directly with Moscow.
Rubio and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff have led the U.S. diplomatic push, including multiple rounds of backchannel talks held in Saudi Arabia. According to Rubio, Witkoff has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on three separate occasions.
But a major sticking point remains. While Ukraine has endorsed a comprehensive ceasefire backed by the Trump administration, Russia has refused to accept it unless Kyiv halts its military mobilization and the West stops supplying Ukraine with weapons—conditions Ukraine has rejected.
Rubio’s warning signals rising frustration within the administration and could mark a turning point in U.S. involvement. “The president is still interested in a deal,” Rubio said, “but he’s not going to wait around forever.”