The US will walk away from efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within days unless there are clear signs a truce is possible, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned.
“We’re not going to continue this endeavour for weeks and months on end,” Rubio said Friday, citing other pressing priorities for the US. His remarks follow a meeting with European leaders in Paris on Thursday, where potential terms for a ceasefire were discussed.
Rubio emphasized the urgency of the talks: “We need to determine very quickly now, within days, whether or not this is doable. If it’s not going to happen, then we’re just going to move on.”
Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has issued several conditions for any potential ceasefire. Despite ongoing Russian missile attacks, including a strike on Friday that killed two civilians according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, peace discussions continue behind the scenes.
Rubio’s comments came just hours after Ukraine signed a memorandum of intent with the US to create an investment fund aimed at Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. The deal, expected to be finalized by April 26, forms part of a broader economic partnership.
Though the memorandum omits specific references to natural resources, leaks suggest it could extend beyond minerals to include Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including oil and gas. Ukrainian officials have resisted Trump’s push to make the fund repay prior US military aid, but appear to have accepted the broader investment framework as a path to recovery.
The US has not yet provided Ukraine with security guarantees tied to a ceasefire, though Zelensky has made such assurances a priority. He warned last month that “a ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine.” The White House believes US business presence in Ukraine could deter Russian aggression—though that theory was tested when Russia invaded in 2022 despite strong international ties.
Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced the signing of the memorandum in a post on X, featuring images of her and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signing the document via video call. Bessent said the agreement largely aligns with prior negotiations and that technical talks were recently held in Washington.
Trump referenced the minerals deal during a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, suggesting it would be signed “next Thursday” and stating, “I assume they’re going to live up to the deal. So we’ll see.”
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, chair of Ukraine’s parliamentary committee on EU Integration, said Parliament would have the “final word” on the agreement. “I hope it will reflect the interests of our country and our people,” she said.
Talks around the minerals deal had previously stalled following a heated exchange between Trump and Zelensky at the White House in February. However, discussions resumed recently, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha meeting with Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Paris on Thursday.
According to Sybiha, the group discussed “paths to a fair and lasting peace,” including a full ceasefire, a multinational peacekeeping force, and long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
