US may 'move on' from Russia-Ukraine peace talks if no progress soon: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday that the United States might soon “move on” from trying to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if significant progress is not made in the coming days.

 

Speaking in Paris after a marathon day of high-stakes talks with Ukrainian and European officials, Rubio described the discussions as “constructive” and said they produced an initial framework for steps toward peace.

 

French officials also confirmed that a follow-up meeting, involving the same parties, is being planned for London early next week. Rubio said he could attend that meeting, emphasising the urgency of the situation.

 

“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters before leaving Paris. 

 

The Trump administration has spent weeks trying to mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but so far those efforts have not ended the ongoing conflict. Rubio made it clear that the US government aims to determine “in a matter of days whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks.”

 

Thursday’s talks in Paris marked the first time top American, Ukrainian, and European officials had gathered together to address the Ukraine war since President Donald Trump took office. The meetings come at a time when European leaders are increasingly worried about Trump’s apparent willingness to forge closer ties with Russia.

 

Rubio and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff have been leading the US diplomatic push for peace. Several rounds of negotiations have already taken place in Saudi Arabia, with Witkoff holding three separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Rubio.

 

However, Moscow has so far refused to agree to the comprehensive ceasefire proposal backed by Trump and supported by Ukraine. Russia is demanding an end to Ukraine’s mobilisation efforts and a halt to Western arms shipments—conditions that Ukraine has rejected.

 

(With agency inputs)