President Donald Trump has indicated that the United States might soon step away from efforts to broker peace in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine if there is no rapid progress from both sides. Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump responded to earlier remarks made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had suggested that Washington was ready to “move on” if a ceasefire deal didn’t seem achievable in the coming days. When asked directly about Rubio’s comments, Trump replied that the U.S. decision would come “very shortly,” adding that while there was no exact timeline, the matter needed to be resolved quickly.
Trump did not place blame directly on either Russian President Vladimir Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, he made it clear that both leaders must show a willingness to move talks forward. Trump warned that if one of the parties makes things unnecessarily difficult, the U.S. will back off. In his words, “You’re foolish. You’re fools. You’re horrible people — and we’re going to just take a pass.” Still, he added that he hoped this wouldn’t be necessary.
Throughout his campaign and return to office, Trump has consistently claimed he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. Although he recently admitted he had said that sarcastically, the remark sparked international debate. Meanwhile, Ukraine has agreed to a temporary ceasefire and has accused Russia of deliberately delaying negotiations to strengthen its bargaining position.
In a move that surprised several Western allies, Trump launched direct talks with President Putin back in February shortly after reentering the White House. When asked whether he believed Putin was intentionally slowing down the peace process, Trump said he hoped that wasn’t the case and promised to give an update soon.
He also pushed back against suggestions that he was being manipulated by Putin, who famously denied plans to invade Ukraine right up until the attack in February 2022. “Nobody’s playing me,” Trump said firmly. “I’m trying to help.”
