FRIDAY April 18, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng
The United States, US, may abandon its efforts to end the war in Ukraine if no meaningful progress is made in the coming days, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday, April 18, 2025, as he left Paris following talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“If it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on,” Mr. Rubio told reporters, adding that the Trump administration would decide “in a matter of days whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks.”
It remained unclear whether Mr. Rubio’s remarks referred to ending Washington’s push for a temporary cease-fire or signalled a broader withdrawal of US support for Ukraine. However, his comments appeared aimed at increasing pressure on all parties to bring the war to an end, while also urging European leaders to prompt Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider compromises.
While the US remains Russia’s main counterpart in ongoing negotiations, European nations hold more direct influence over Mr. Zelensky. President Trump, who met with European officials earlier, said on Thursday he was “not a big fan” of the Ukrainian leader.
According to Mr. Rubio, “President Trump has spent 87 days at the highest level of this government repeatedly making efforts to bring this war to an end. We are now reaching a point when we need to decide and determine whether this is even possible or not.”
Thursday’s high-level discussions involving American, European, and Ukrainian officials were described as the first of their kind, intended to align the diverging perspectives of Washington and European capitals on the conflict. Mr. Rubio called the talks constructive but admitted frustration was growing. “It is not our war. We didn’t start it,” he said. “The United States has been helping Ukraine for the past three years and we want it to end, but it’s not our war.”
American diplomatic efforts have been led by Mr. Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy, who has held several meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to build what he described as a “friendship, a relationship” with the Kremlin.
Despite those meetings, Mr. Putin has continued setting tough conditions, including a demand for a 30-day cease-fire, while Russia’s assault on Ukraine persists.
Participants in the Paris talks are expected to reconvene next week in London. Mr. Rubio said he may attend and expressed hope that European leaders would remain committed to the peace process. Russia’s demands — including the cession of occupied territories and Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO ambitions — have so far been flatly rejected by Kyiv.
“I think the UK and France and Germany can help us move the ball on this and then get this closer to a resolution,” Mr. Rubio said, speaking to reporters at Le Bourget airport before his departure. “I thought they were very helpful and constructive with their ideas.”
