The United States is prepared to retreat from attempts to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine if there are no concrete signs of advancement in the coming days," announced US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a visit to Paris.
"We will not proceed this process for weeks or months without results," Rubio stressed after meetings with European leaders and representatives of Ukraine. "We request to be very quick, and I am talking about the question of days, whether agreement is possible in the coming weeks. If so, we are on board. If not, we must address another priorities."
This is the strongest declaration always made by the Donald Trump administration, who promised to end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours" from taking office in the electoral campaign. After swearing in, the president relaxed his tone, suggesting that a realistic deadline for an agreement would be April or May 2025. But now, as Rubi says, the White House’s patience is clearly over.
"The president inactive wants to scope an agreement. But if we do not see advancement immediately, we must decision on," Rubio noted.
During the talks in the capital of France, Rubio met with the abroad Minister of France and Ukrainian diplomats. According to diplomatic sources, the talks afraid mainly whether there was even a minimum chance of breaking the deadlock.
“It is not a substance of desire, but of reality. Russia is presently showing no signs that it is ready to compromise," said 1 of the elder officials of the State Department, quoted unofficially by Reuters.
Rubio besides did not hide that the impasse on Ukraine falls within a broader geopolitical context. "We cannot afford to get stuck in 1 place erstwhile the planet is on fire. We are facing a crisis in the mediate East, tensions in Indo-Pacific and a precarious situation in Latin America. The US must act globally, not just focus on 1 front," he said in Paris.
Rubia's statements not only have a political dimension, but besides put force on European allies to get more active in trying to settle the conflict. Brussels and Paris signal that they do not want a prolonged suspension, but at the same time do not see the conditions for effective negotiations with the Kremlin.
"It is hard to talk about peace erstwhile 1 side is inactive bombing cities and the another 1 does not want to hear about territorial concessions," said 1 EU official.
The decision to retreat the U.S. from the function of mediator may fall in the coming days. Rubio has not given a circumstantial date, but his words propose that the White home considers the substance urgent.
‘This is not a resignation signal. It's a signal that time is moving out. If we are to do something, we must do it now" - the Secretary of State concluded.
