President Donald Trump indicated on Friday that the United States might “pass” on negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine if there is no evident willingness from Moscow and Kyiv to make progress in the near future.
“If either side becomes too obstructive for any reason, we will simply say: ‘You’re making a mistake. You’re acting foolishly. You’re terrible people.’ And we will step back,” Trump stated to reporters in the Oval Office. “But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
He refrained from blaming either Russian President Vladimir Putin, who initiated the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the deadlock in negotiations. Instead, Trump emphasized the need for both parties to advance towards peace.
His remarks followed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statements in Paris, where he noted that the U.S. might withdraw from its role as a mediator if no swift progress was observed in the ongoing discussions.
Trump cautioned that a decision to exit the negotiations could happen “very soon.” “There’s no exact timeline, but it will be quick. We want this resolved,” he added.
When asked by a reporter if he felt he was being manipulated by Putin, Trump responded: “No one is manipulating me; I’m trying to be helpful.”
“My entire life has been one long negotiation, and I can tell when people are trying to deceive us,” he remarked. When queried about whether he thought Putin was prolonging the discussions, Trump replied: “I hope not. I’ll keep you updated on that… there’s a significant military presence there.”
Trump has encouraged both parties to agree to a ceasefire, yet he has not been able to obtain significant concessions from the Kremlin, despite a recent phone call with Putin and several visits to Russia by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
A temporary halt to strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure—the only substantial concession Trump managed to secure from Moscow—came to an end on Friday, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
At the same time, European leaders are seeking a larger role in the negotiations, particularly as the Trump administration calls on Europe to take on more responsibility for Ukraine’s defense.
France hosted a meeting in Paris on Thursday, describing it as a “positive process.” The talks involved French President Emmanuel Macron, Rubio, and Witkoff.
Reporting by AFP contributed to this article.
