‘It’s Not Our War’: Rubio Says America Could Drop Ukraine-Russia Peace Push Absent Progress in Coming Days

PARIS — Secretary Rubio says that America may “move on” from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting.He spoke at Paris after landmark talks among American, Ukrainian and European officials produced outlines for steps toward peace and appeared to make some long-awaited progress. A new meeting is expected next week at London, and Mr. Rubio suggested that could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration continues its involvement.“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Mr. Rubio told reporters upon departure. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on.”“It’s not our war,” Mr. Rubio said. “We have other priorities to focus on.” He said the Trump administration wants to decide “in a matter of days.”His comments came as America and Ukraine are nearing a long-delayed deal granting the United States access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, which has been intertwined with President Trump’s peace push. Mr. Trump said Thursday, “We have a minerals deal,” and Ukraine’s economy minister said Friday that the two countries signed a memorandum of intent ahead of a possible fuller agreement later.The framework of the mineral deal had stalled in February following a contentious Oval Office meeting between Mr. Trump, Vice President Vance, and President Zelensky. Negotiations have since resumed.Despite apparent growing American impatience with the peace efforts, Mr. Rubio called Thursday’s Paris talks constructive. “Nobody rejected anything, nobody got up from the table or walked away.”Mr. Rubio didn’t single out Russia or Ukraine as blocking peace efforts. He said he informed Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, about the outlines that emerged when they spoke after the Paris talks, but wouldn’t say how Mr. Lavrov reacted.After weeks of tensions with European allies, Mr. Rubio said the European negotiators proved helpful. ″The UK and France and Germany can help us move the ball on this.″The talks mark the first time since Mr. Trump’s inauguration that top American, Ukrainian, and European officials met to discuss an end to the war, which has posed the biggest security challenge to Europe since World War II.The meetings addressed security guarantees for Ukraine in the future, but Mr. Rubio wouldn’t discuss any possible American role in that. Some kind of American support for Ukraine is seen as crucial to ensuring that Russia would not attack again after a peace deal is reached.Mr. Rubio and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff have helped lead America’s efforts to seek peace, and Mr. Witkoff has met three times with Mr. Putin, Mr. Rubio said. Several rounds of negotiations have been held in Saudi Arabia.Moscow has effectively refused to accept a comprehensive ceasefire that Mr. Trump has pushed and Ukraine has endorsed. Russia has made it conditional on a halt in Ukraine’s mobilization efforts and Western arms supplies, which are demands rejected by Ukraine.Meanwhile, Russia kept up a series of deadly strikes on Ukrainian cities, according to officials there, wounding scores of civilians days after missiles killed at least 34 during Palm Sunday celebrations at the northern city of Sumy.One person died and more than 60 others were hurt as Russia hit Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, early in the day, Ukraine’s Emergency Service reported. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said cluster munitions struck a “densely populated” neighborhood four times.Russian drones also targeted a bakery in Sumy, less than a week after the deadly Palm Sunday strike there, killing a customer and wounding an employee, the regional prosecutor’s office said. Photos released by the agency showed rows of Easter cakes stacked inside a devastated building, covered in thick dust, as a huge hole gaped in the wall behind them and rubble piled up on the floor.Last Sunday’s strike on Sumy, resulting in mass casualties, was the second large-scale missile attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week. Some 20 people, including nine children, died on April 4 as missiles struck Mr. Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih.The United States-Ukraine minerals agreement, which the Ukrainian economy minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, said she signed with Secretary Bessent, is expected to pave the way for significant investments, infrastructure modernization, and long-term cooperation.

‘It’s Not Our War’: Rubio Says America Could Drop Ukraine-Russia Peace Push Absent Progress in Coming Days

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