Washington DC [US]: United States President Donald Trump on Friday suggested that the US might withdraw from its efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine if negotiations become excessively difficult or unproductive, according to CNN.
“If, for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say, ‘You’re foolish, you’re foolish. You’re horrible people,’ and we’re just going to take a pass,” Trump said.
Despite the stern warning, Trump expressed cautious optimism, stating that the conflict was “coming to a head” and that there’s still a good chance of securing a peace deal.
Rubio Sets Deadline for Peace Talks
Trump’s remarks came shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at the possible termination of the peace process if no tangible progress is made in the coming days.
“We need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable,” Rubio said while addressing reporters in Paris, following high-level meetings with European, Ukrainian, and Russian officials.
Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff have been leading the Trump administration’s diplomatic push to find a resolution to the conflict, which has now extended into its third year.
“If it’s not possible, if we’re so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think the president is probably at a point where he’s going to say we’re done. It’s not our war. We didn’t start it,” Rubio added.
Strategic Reassessment Amid Ongoing War
The remarks underscore a strategic reassessment by the Trump administration regarding its role in the Ukraine conflict, reflecting growing impatience with the lack of progress.
“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 where we need to decide and determine whether this is even possible or not. Which is why we’re engaging both sides,” Rubio stated.
The Russia-Ukraine war, ongoing since February 2022, has claimed thousands of lives and destabilized regional and global economies. While the US has provided consistent military and financial support to Kyiv, recent comments from Trump and Rubio suggest a possible pivot in US foreign policy if diplomacy fails to produce results in the near term.