U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled that the United States could withdraw from ongoing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia if tangible progress isn’t made in the coming days.
His comments, delivered Thursday, mark a sharp shift in Washington’s diplomatic tone on the conflict.
The announcement follows earlier remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told reporters in Paris that the U.S. would “move on” if it appeared that peace was not “doable.”
Although Trump has pushed for a ceasefire between the warring nations, his efforts have yet to yield any major breakthroughs, despite initiating dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and holding repeated talks with Moscow.
“Yeah very shortly,” Trump responded when asked by reporters in the Oval Office to confirm Rubio’s position on potentially walking away from the discussions.
“No specific number of days, but quickly. We want to get it done.”
While refusing to assign blame directly to either Putin, who initiated the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump emphasized that progress must be mutual.
“Now if for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say: ‘You’re foolish. You’re fools. You’re horrible people’ — and we’re going to just take a pass,” he stated. “But hopefully we won’t have to do that.”
Meanwhile, Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory persist, with officials in Kyiv reporting that attacks on Kharkiv and Sumy in the northeast have left at least two civilians dead and injured dozens more.
One of the few concessions secured by Trump — a temporary halt on attacks against Ukraine’s energy facilities — has now expired, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who responded to a question from AFP.
Following meetings with European leaders in Paris aimed at pushing a ceasefire, Rubio stated that time was running out to determine whether a short-term truce was possible.
“Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on,” he told journalists.
Despite the grim outlook, U.S. Vice President JD Vance expressed continued hope during a visit to Italy, insisting he remained “optimistic” about ending the war that has lasted over three years.
Trump, who once pledged to end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has struggled to make headway.
His attempts to thaw relations with the Kremlin have worried Ukrainian officials and driven a wedge between the United States and several of its European allies.
He and Vice President Vance were also reported to have had a heated exchange with Zelensky in the Oval Office back in February.
Trump has since accused the Ukrainian leader of contributing to the outbreak of war.
Nevertheless, Trump insists he’s not being manipulated by Moscow.
“My whole life has been one big negotiation and I know when people are playing us and I know when they’re not,” the former real estate mogul said.
Ukrainian President Zelensky condemned the most recent attacks, which coincided with the Christian observance of Good Friday.
Kyiv also reported the return of 909 soldiers’ bodies from Russia.
“This is how Russia started Good Friday — with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Shahed drones. A mockery of our people and cities,” Zelensky posted on Telegram.
The Russian military, for its part, claimed it had targeted key drone production facilities and Ukrainian airbases.
Putin recently dismissed a joint U.S.-Ukrainian ceasefire proposal, while also demanding that any truce in the Black Sea be conditioned on the lifting of Western sanctions.
Trump has made no secret of his growing dissatisfaction with Zelensky, further differentiating his stance from that of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is expected to sign a strategic agreement next week in Washington granting the U.S. extensive access to its mineral reserves.
European leaders are also pushing for a greater role in the peace talks. On Thursday, France convened a meeting of U.S and European officials in Paris, which included President Emmanuel Macron, Secretary Rubio, and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
However, Witkoff’s recent trip to Russia and his echoing of Kremlin narratives have raised concerns among allies over Washington’s diplomatic posture.
