Following Rubio’s comments, the Kremlin said it had committed a resolution of the conflict and being open to dialogue.
The US Secretary of State said US President Donald Trump would cease efforts to win a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine if there are no clear signs of progress.
“We are not going to continue this effort for weeks or months,” Rubio told reporters in Paris after meeting European and Ukrainian leaders on Friday.
“We need to make a quick decision right now, and I’m talking about a few days, whether or not this is viable in the coming weeks,” he added.
Rubio’s comments reflect our frustration at the lack of progress in securing a peace agreement. Trump had pledged to do so shortly after he took office in January.
“If that’s not possible – if we’re far enough away that this doesn’t happen, I think the president will probably be at the point where he says, ‘Well, we’re done,'” Rubio said.
In an effort to push both sides to the negotiation table, Trump has threatened to impose severe sanctions on Russia and end further US support for Ukraine.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the diplomatic contacts were “under no surprise, this topic is not easy.”
“Russia has settled this conflict, secured its own interests and embraced the dialogue,” he added.
“We’re continuing to do this.”
Despite recent gusts of diplomatic activity, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this week that “it’s not easy to agree” about what he called a “critical element” of peace reconciliation.
Speaking to the Russian media on April 14, Lavrov confirmed that Moscow and Washington did not agree to even the basic parameters of the ceasefire deal.
Nevertheless, he added, “They are being debated.”
Moscow’s conditions for ending the war three years ago include recognition of sovereignty beyond the four regions of Ukraine, which was invaded in 2022, and is now considered Russian territory.
Russia is also calling for the withdrawal of all Ukrainian troops from these regions, along with iron-covered assurances that Ukraine will never join the West NATO alliance.
But Kiev and some European capitals, along with several Trump administration officials, say that Moscow’s demands are unacceptable and represent Ukraine’s de facto surrender.
“How many days’ problems?”
Last month in Saudi Arabia, US authorities held separate consultations with their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts. He agreed to a limited ceasefire aimed at ending hostilities in the Black Sea.
However, the Kremlin later added some conditions to a future ceasefire, with Rubio saying US officials would “evaluate it.”
However, the results of the assessment remain unknown.
During talks in Saudi Arabia, Moscow and Kiev pledged to comply with a 30-day US-mediated moratorium on attacking each other’s energy facilities.
However, since then, both sides have accused each other of repeatedly violating the moratorium, raising questions about the effectiveness of US peace measurement activities.
After giving a “constructive” speech with European and Ukrainian leaders in Paris, Rubio spoke with Lavrov and said he had explained the “elements” of the US peace framework.
According to Rubio, European capitals will play a central role in the peace deal as sanctions against Russia, which Washington cannot control, need to be lifted to secure an agreement.
“No one would say this (a peace deal) can be done in 12 hours,” Rubio told reporters in Paris.
“We need to figure out here, in a few days — if this is viable in the short term,” he added.
“If not, I think we just move on.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has not yet commented on these statements.
Reuters contributed to this report.
