President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States might step back from its role in mediating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if either side proves uncooperative, according to CNN.
“If, for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say, ‘You’re foolish, you’re foolish. You’re horrible people,’ and we’re just going to take a pass,” Trump stated.
Despite the strong words, Trump expressed cautious optimism about a resolution. “I think we have a really good chance of getting it done. It’s coming to a head right now,” he added.
Trump’s comments followed remarks from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who hinted that the U.S. could pull back from its peace efforts within days if no progress is made. Speaking in Paris after meetings with European, Ukrainian, and Russian officials, Rubio emphasized the need for a swift assessment of the situation.
“We need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable,” Rubio told reporters.
Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff have been leading the Trump administration’s diplomatic push to end the conflict.
“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. It’s not our war. We didn’t start it,” Rubio added.
He also noted that the United States has supported Ukraine for the past three years and that Trump has invested significant time—87 days at the highest levels of government—trying to bring the war to an end. “We are now reaching a point where we need to decide and determine whether this is even possible or not. Which is why we’re engaging both sides,” Rubio said.
