Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the U.S. may be ready to “move on” from efforts for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is not progress in the coming days.
Speaking in Paris after a marathon day of landmark talks among U.S., Ukrainian and European officials, Rubio said the discussions had been constructive and produced an outline for steps toward peace.
French officials said a new meeting in the same format is expected in London in the coming days. Rubio said he could join that meeting, and it’s expected early in the week.
″We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,″ Rubio told reporters upon departure.
After weeks of efforts by the Trump administration to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine have failed to bring an end to the fighting, Rubio said the U.S. administration wants to make the decision in a matter of days.
France hosted high-level talks Thursday to discuss Ukraine and its security, the first time since President Donald Trump’s inauguration that top American, Ukrainian and European officials are known to have met together to discuss an end to the war. The meetings came as European concerns grow about Trump’s readiness to draw closer to Russia.
As he departed, Rubio described European nations' inputs as "constructive", saying "we welcome their involvement, we think it's important."
Rubio and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff have helped lead U.S. efforts to seek peace. Several rounds of negotiations have been held in Saudi Arabia. Witkoff has met three times with Putin, Rubio said.
Moscow has effectively refused to accept a comprehensive ceasefire that Trump has pushed and Ukraine has endorsed. Russia has made it conditional on a halt in Ukraine’s mobilization efforts and Western arms supplies, which are demands rejected by Ukraine.
Separately Rubio addressed talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, saying that European nations will soon have to consider snapback of sanctions on Iran.
Talks are “in a very crucial” stage, the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday while on a visit to the Islamic Republic.
(Associated Press)
