The US may be stepping away from efforts to resolve the Ukraine-Russia war ‘in a matter of days’. Top officials insisted on Friday that it was “not our war” — more than three years into an offensive that has killed tens of thousands on both sides. The comments come amid mounting frustration within the Trump administration as Russia stalled negotiations and rejected a ceasefire proposal that had been approved by Kyiv. Meanwhile the Kremlin struck a conciliatory note, insisting that Moscow remained committed to resolving the conflict.
“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not. Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on. We need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters.
“Contacts are quite complicated, because, naturally, the topic is not an easy one. Russia is committed to resolving this conflict, ensuring its own interests, and is open to dialogue. We continue to do this. We believe that some progress can already be noted. Therefore, certain developments have already been achieved, but, of course, there are still many complex discussions ahead,” came the response from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
President Donald Trump had campaigned on a promise to end fighting in Ukraine within “24 hours” of taking oath as POTUS — or even before his inauguration. Three months after taking office, however, his administration has only managed to negotiate a partial ceasefire that has done nothing to halt the fighting. A growing rapprochement between Washington and Moscow and the US leader’s threats to stop supporting Kyiv also appear to have emboldened Russia’s confidence. Trump told NBC News during an interview at the end of March that he was “very angry” and “pissed off” with Putin amid a continued lack of progress.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia. That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States. There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil,” he had reportedly insisted.
Trump has also been vocal in his criticism of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky — falsely calling him a dictator and repeatedly criticising his handling of the war. A White House meeting between the two leaders also devolved into a fiery war of words in February — with Trump and his Vice President JD Vance chiding Zelensky for not starting peace talks with Russia earlier.
Trump had blamed Zelensky for ‘’gambling with World War III’ during the meeting and insisted that the other country should be ready to negotiate a settlement instead of continuing to ask for military aid. Meanwhile Vice President JD Vance had questioned whether Ukraine had been appreciative of US aid.
Ukraine-US Mineral Deal
The remarks came even as Kyiv signed the outline of a minerals deal with Washington on Friday. Trump and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had told reporters on Thursday that a comprehensive agreement would be signed next week.
“We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. There is a lot to do, but the current pace and significant progress give reason to expect that the document will be very beneficial for both countries,” Ukrainian minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on X.