President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring an end to the conflict in Eastern Europe are facing a potential halt, as his administration indicates it may “move on” from the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations unless certain conditions are met.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been tasked with facilitating a deal between the two countries, which have been in conflict since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
For over a month, Rubio and his team have been dedicated to this mission. They met with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia on March 11 to explore solutions for resolving the ongoing war.
Since then, Rubio has engaged with Russian officials and collaborated with Trump in an attempt to secure a peace agreement between the two nations.
Recently, Rubio cautioned both nations that, without signs of progress towards a truce, the US would withdraw from the negotiations.
“We’re not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end,” Rubio remarked, emphasizing that there are “other priorities to focus on.”
After meeting with European leaders in Paris on April 17, the former presidential candidate expressed urgency to the press, stating: “We need to determine very quickly now – and I’m talking about a matter of days – whether or not this is doable. If it’s not going to happen, then we’re just going to move on.”
Positive developments for Ukraine have emerged, as the US aims for the nation to agree to a minerals deal, which would lead to an American investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Yesterday, the Ukrainian government announced it had signed a memorandum of intent with the US as part of an economic partnership agreement.
The goal is for the US and Ukraine to finalize this deal by April 26.
On Monday, without a ceasefire agreement in place, Trump criticized both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He labeled Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” and criticized his leadership.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump attributed the war’s occurrence to multiple leaders, saying, “The mistake was letting the war happen,” blaming not only Zelenskyy but also Biden and Putin.
He continued, “You have millions of people dead, millions of people dead because of three people. Let’s say Putin number one. But let’s say Biden, who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelenskyy. And all I can do is try and stop it.”