President Donald Trump may soon pull out of his effort to help stop the Russia-Ukraine war if progress is not seen soon. This was made known by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on April 18, who explained that the president would not allow the process to drag on without real progress.
Rubio, speaking in Paris after holding talks with European and Ukrainian leaders, said they are working under tight timelines. “We have just a few days to figure out whether this has a chance to work,” Rubio told reporters.
He made it clear that if things do not move forward quickly, the president will likely decide to end the attempt. Trump, according to Rubio, is no longer interested in giving endless time to the situation if it seems like peace cannot be achieved.
So far, leaders in Paris, London, Berlin, and Kyiv have not released any official response to Rubio’s words. But according to three diplomats from Europe who spoke to Reuters, the comments appear to show that frustration inside the White House is increasing due to Russia’s unwillingness to cooperate.
From Moscow’s side, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that progress had been made in some areas, but ongoing talks with the U.S. were proving difficult.
Peskov noted that Russia is still working toward a peaceful resolution that does not go against its interests. He also added that Russia remains open to further discussions with Washington.
Progress and Pressure Continue
While tensions were rising, some small progress was being noticed during recent U.S. talks with Ukraine. Vice President JD Vance stated on April 18 that the U.S. believes there is now a real chance to end the war.
He made this comment during his visit to Rome, where he had just met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for the second time in two days.
“We’ve seen some things in the past 24 hours that give us hope,” Vance said while sitting with Meloni. Just a day earlier, the two had spoken together at the White House before flying to Italy for the Easter season.
Though Vance refused to share full details of the peace talks, he said he remains hopeful that the war could be brought to an end soon. He called the war brutal and said the goal is to stop the violence as quickly as possible.
Trump Pushes for Results
Trump announced on Thursday that a minerals agreement with Ukraine may be finalized next week. This follows a failed attempt in February when a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took place at the Oval Office involving Trump and Vance.
The recent meeting in Paris on Thursday was the first major face-to-face peace effort involving European powers under Trump’s leadership. Rubio said the U.S. peace proposal he presented there received what he called a positive reaction. Ukrainian leaders described the meeting as both productive and respectful.
Though Rubio had sounded hopeful during the Paris meeting, his comments shifted overnight. His statements on Friday pointed to growing disappointment inside the White House as delays continue on multiple foreign policy fronts.
The Political Promise
During his election run, Trump said he would bring the war in Ukraine to an end within his first full day in office. That position later changed, and he suggested peace could come by April or May, depending on how the talks went.
Trump has pushed both Russia and Ukraine to agree to sit down for direct talks. He has even warned of stronger sanctions against Moscow or a full stop to American military support for Ukraine if progress is not seen.
A few results have come from these efforts. Both countries attended U.S.-led discussions in Saudi Arabia, where a limited ceasefire was agreed. But the fighting continues, including a Russian missile strike that killed 35 people in Sumy. Trump later described that attack as a “mistake.”
If the U.S. decides to stop its peace push, the process may collapse because there is no other country that can apply the same kind of pressure on both Ukraine and Russia at the same time.
Next Steps Remain Unclear
What happens afterward is still unknown. The U.S. may choose to keep its current strategy, which means continuing sanctions on Russia and maintaining financial support for Ukraine. However, Trump could make the decision to cut off payments completely.
Rubio mentioned that he also spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the Paris talks. He said he gave Lavrov a briefing on parts of the U.S. peace proposal that had been shared during the meeting.
