Washington, April 27, 2025: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized on Sunday that a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine must be reached soon, warning that the Trump administration will reassess its role as a mediator if progress stalls.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Rubio said, “It needs to happen soon. We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition.”
Rubio noted that the coming week will be critical, as U.S. officials decide whether to continue facilitating negotiations or shift focus elsewhere. “This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor we want to continue, or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues,” he said.
His comments followed a Saturday meeting in Rome between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, held during the funeral ceremonies for Pope Francis. The encounter aimed to revive stalled peace talks.
Zelenskiy expressed optimism, calling the meeting potentially “historic” if it leads to the resolution Ukraine seeks. A White House spokesperson described the talks as “very productive.”
Rubio added that Washington has refrained from imposing additional sanctions on Russia to allow diplomacy a chance but warned that if talks collapse, Trump has options to hold parties accountable. “If it doesn’t happen, then there are options we have for those we hold responsible for not wanting the peace,” he said. “But we prefer not to get to that stage yet, because we think it closes the door to diplomacy.”
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voiced concern on CNN’s State of the Union that Trump might “cave in to Putin.” Schumer warned that abandoning Ukraine after its sacrifices would be a “moral tragedy” and could damage U.S. alliances with Europe while emboldening dictators worldwide.
