U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Friday that Washington must determine within a few days if a ceasefire in Ukraine is a feasible option, following discussions with European officials in Paris.
“We need to assess quickly, within the next few days, if this is achievable in the short term, because if it isn’t, we might just move forward with other initiatives,” Rubio informed journalists at Le Bourget airport prior to his departure from Paris.
“If a ceasefire is possible, we’re all in. But if it isn’t, we have other pressing priorities to consider,” he added. “The United States has supported Ukraine over the past three years, and while we want this conflict to conclude, it’s not our war to fight,” he noted.
European leaders have been working to establish their role in the peace discussions after U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly agreed to start peace talks following a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, much to the surprise of Kyiv and Western allies.
However, Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict have stumbled, as Putin has dismissed proposals for a comprehensive ceasefire and has increased his demands from Ukraine, including calling for the ousting of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Despite this, Rubio remarked that the discussions held with European partners on Thursday were “very beneficial and productive,” expressing hope that vital allies would continue to participate in the process.
“We hope they will stay engaged… The U.K., France, and Germany can assist us in making progress and getting closer to a resolution,” he said.
Later on Friday, when asked to elaborate on Rubio’s comments, the Kremlin refrained from acknowledging the U.S. Secretary of State’s brief timeline for advancing peace talks, advising reporters to direct their inquiries to Washington.
“We believe some progress has been made. This progress is tied to the moratorium that Russia has maintained — a pause on attacks against energy infrastructure,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, following an announcement that the temporary halt in such assaults had concluded.
“Russia has adhered to this moratorium, which is more than can be said for Ukraine. There have been initial developments, but numerous challenging discussions still remain,” he added.
On Friday, Rubio indicated that any potential future peace agreement might involve the lifting of sanctions against Moscow — a point that contrasts with European nations, which have recently opted to strengthen rather than relax economic sanctions on Russia.
“A portion of the sanctions against Russia are European sanctions that we cannot lift if that were ever to become a part of a deal,” he explained.
Last month, EU leaders decided to enhance sanctions against Moscow instead of initiating talks about lifting them.
Reporting contributed by AFP.
