The United States is preparing to walk away from efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine unless there’s real progress toward a ceasefire within days, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned this week.
“We’re not going to drag this out for weeks or months,” Rubio told reporters after meeting with European leaders in Paris. “We need to know now—within days—if there’s a realistic path to peace. If not, we’re moving on.”
The warning highlights growing U.S. frustration with stalled peace talks more than two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite early confidence from the Trump administration that it could swiftly negotiate a ceasefire, meaningful progress has yet to materialize. Russia continues to demand conditions Kyiv refuses to meet, while the U.S. blames both sides for the deadlock.
Meanwhile, Russian strikes continue, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reporting fresh missile attacks that killed two people on Friday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is open to peace, but negotiations are “quite difficult.”
Adding to the complexity, the U.S. and Ukraine recently signed a preliminary agreement to create an investment fund focused on Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. While still vague on details, the deal is expected to include investments in Ukraine’s mineral resources and possibly its energy sector. Some reports suggest Trump wants the fund to help repay U.S. military aid, a point of contention with Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky hopes the deal can also deliver U.S. security guarantees—but Washington hasn’t committed. For now, Rubio’s message is clear: without fast movement toward a truce, U.S. attention will shift elsewhere.
