The US government will abandon efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine if meaningful progress is not achieved within “a matter of days,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday, as Washington and Kyiv reportedly agreed on a controversial minerals deal.
“If it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on,” he told reporters before departing Paris, where he took part in high-level talks between Ukraine’s European allies and representatives from Kyiv about the war on Thursday.
Rubio’s warnings came hours before Vice President JD Vance said he was “optimistic” about negotiations, as he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome.
President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to quickly end the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
Yet despite his administration’s diplomatic push – and the president’s own conversations with the leaders of both countries – progress has been limited, with few concessions being offered by Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russia remains open to dialogue, while insisting that its interests need to be respected.
“A number of difficult negotiations still lie ahead,” said Peskov, according to state news agency TASS. “Russia is striving to resolve this conflict, to protect its own interests, and is ready for dialogue.”
Peskov cited a 30-day moratorium on energy infrastructure attacks as a sign of progress on the pathway to peace, but he confirmed that it had expired on Thursday.
The deal never firmly took hold, with both Ukraine and Russia frequently accusing each other of violations.
Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not issued any orders to expand it, claiming that only Russia had adhered to the deal.
Rubio has met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in person in recent months in an effort to broker a truce.
The two spoke again by phone on Thursday, with the top US diplomat describing the call as “constructive.”
But following talks in Paris on Thursday, Rubio outlined Washington’s waning patience with the lack of progress on a ceasefire.
“We need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable,” he stated.
“If it’s not possible, if we’re so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think the president is probably at a point where he’s going to say, ‘We’re done.'”
A more positive picture was offered by Vance on his visit to Rome.
“Since there are the negotiations, I won’t prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war, to a close,” Vance said, without elaborating.
While a ceasefire appears out of reach at present, a raw materials agreement between Kiev and Washington is set to be concluded by April 26, following final negotiations between Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and US officials.
A memorandum of understanding on the deal, signed by both sides on Thursday, was published by the Ukrainian government on Friday.
Few details, including financial terms, were revealed in the text.
But the final agreement is expected to provide the US with access to Ukraine’s rare earths, which are crucial for high-tech industries.
Kyiv, in turn, hopes the deal will strengthen its relationship with the US and secure Washington’s long-term support as a protective power.
The memorandum of understanding emphasizes the significant financial and material assistance the US has provided to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022, potentially indicating that Kiev may need to use the critical minerals as a repayment.
The document also outlines plans to establish a joint investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
And while it does not address the security guarantees Ukraine is seeking, it says that both the US and Ukrainian people are committed to investing in a “free, sovereign, and secure Ukraine.”
Importantly, the agreement is to be structured to avoid conflicting with Ukraine’s obligations to the European Union and other international partners.
Media reports previously indicated that earlier drafts had raised concerns in Kiev that it could hinder Ukraine’s EU accession aspirations as some provisions could conflict with the bloc’s regulations.
Shmyhal is to travel to Washington next week and meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to finalize the deal, the memorandum said.
Shortly after taking office in January, US President Donald Trump tied military aid to Ukraine’s access to its valuable rare earth minerals.
However, a deal that was set to be signed collapsed in February following a heated public dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump at the White House.