Marco Rubio delivers remarks during a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of State on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Paris, France – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Friday that the Trump administration is prepared to abandon peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine within days if no meaningful progress is made. Speaking after a tense round of talks in Paris, Rubio signaled the White House’s growing impatience with the slow pace of diplomacy.
“If we’re so far apart this won’t happen, then the president is ready to move on,” Rubio told reporters, adding that President Donald Trump wants a clear answer in the coming days on whether a peace deal is achievable. “We won’t let this drag on for weeks or months.”
Rubio’s stark remarks stood in contrast to the more hopeful tone of Vice President J.D. Vance, who told reporters in Rome that recent developments offered “reasons for optimism.” Vance, speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, said the administration was still hopeful about ending the war.
The Paris meeting, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, brought together U.S. officials Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, along with diplomats from Ukraine, the UK, and Germany. The session marked an expansion of European involvement in U.S.-led peace efforts, which began in earnest after Trump’s reengagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin in February. Trump reportedly gave his team 100 days to broker a deal.
However, tensions remain high on the ground. Overnight, Russian missiles and drones struck several Ukrainian cities, killing at least two civilians. In the northeastern city of Sumy, a drone hit a bakery preparing Easter cakes, killing one person—just a week after deadly Palm Sunday strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks, writing on X: “This is how Russia began this Good Friday – with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Shaheds – maiming our people and cities.”
Rubio declined to share details of the U.S. peace framework, citing the early stage of negotiations, but praised the “positive tone” in Paris and welcomed increased European engagement. Talks are set to continue in London next week.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has hinted at future U.S.-Russia business deals in exchange for lifting sanctions—an offer that European officials view with deep skepticism. French scholar Nicolas Tenzer warned that any agreement perceived as favoring Russia could collapse. “It’s our duty not to respect it,” he said of a potential Trump-Putin deal.
