By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN

Published: 14:00 BST, 18 April 2025 | Updated: 14:00 BST, 18 April 2025

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Donald Trump is ready to walk away from trying to negotiate a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within days unless progress is made, a top US official warns. If the president doesn't see signs that an agreement is on the horizon he will call it a day because he has 'other priorities' to focus on, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.

Donald Trump is ready to walk away from trying to negotiate a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within days unless progress is made, a top US official warns. If the president doesn’t see signs that an agreement is on the horizon he will call it a day because he has ‘other priorities’ to focus on, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.

'We're not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end. So we need to determine very quickly now, and I'm talking about a matter of days whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks. 'If it is we're in. If it's not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well,' Rubio said in Paris, after meeting European and Ukrainian leaders.

‘We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end. So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks. ‘If it is we’re in. If it’s not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well,’ Rubio said in Paris, after meeting European and Ukrainian leaders.

Rubio said Trump was still interested in a deal but was willing to move on if there were no immediate signs of progress. Trump promised during his election campaign to end the war within his first 24 hours in the White House . He moderated that claim on taking office, suggesting a deal by April or May, as obstacles mounted.

Rubio said Trump was still interested in a deal but was willing to move on if there were no immediate signs of progress. Trump promised during his election campaign to end the war within his first 24 hours in the White House . He moderated that claim on taking office, suggesting a deal by April or May, as obstacles mounted.

Rubio's comments underline the mounting frustrations over a lack of progress in pushes to settle a growing list of geopolitical challenges. It comes after Trump claimed the war in Ukraine would not have happened 'if Zelensky was competent', as he vowed to 'stop the killing'.

Rubio’s comments underline the mounting frustrations over a lack of progress in pushes to settle a growing list of geopolitical challenges. It comes after Trump claimed the war in Ukraine would not have happened ‘if Zelensky was competent’, as he vowed to ‘stop the killing’.

Trump on Monday blamed the Ukrainian president, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his predecessor Joe Biden for the war, before implying that Putin would have never invaded if he had been in power in the US. 'If Biden were competent, and if Zelensky were competent, and I don't know that he is... that war should never have been allowed to happen,' he told reporters at the White House on Monday.

Trump on Monday blamed the Ukrainian president, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his predecessor Joe Biden for the war, before implying that Putin would have never invaded if he had been in power in the US. ‘If Biden were competent, and if Zelensky were competent, and I don’t know that he is… that war should never have been allowed to happen,’ he told reporters at the White House on Monday.

'I went four years and Putin wouldn't even bring it up and as soon as the election was rigged and I wasn't here, that war started.' He doubled down on his assertion that 'everybody's to blame' for the war, as he repeated: 'Biden could have stopped it, and Zelensky could have stopped it, and Putin should have never started it.

‘I went four years and Putin wouldn’t even bring it up and as soon as the election was rigged and I wasn’t here, that war started.’ He doubled down on his assertion that ‘everybody’s to blame’ for the war, as he repeated: ‘Biden could have stopped it, and Zelensky could have stopped it, and Putin should have never started it.

'I'm not saying that anybody's an angel, but I went four years and it wasn't even a question. He would never - and I told him "don't do it, you're not going to do it." And it was the apple of his eye, but there was no way that he would've done it,' he added. Trump's harsh criticisms come amid reports from his special envoy Steve Witkoff that Putin is open to a 'permanent peace' deal with Ukraine.

‘I’m not saying that anybody’s an angel, but I went four years and it wasn’t even a question. He would never – and I told him “don’t do it, you’re not going to do it.” And it was the apple of his eye, but there was no way that he would’ve done it,’ he added. Trump’s harsh criticisms come amid reports from his special envoy Steve Witkoff that Putin is open to a ‘permanent peace’ deal with Ukraine.

Witkoff, who met with the Kremlin leader last week, has now claimed that the US and Russia 'might be on the verge of something that would be very, very important for the world at large'. Trump - who had a blazing public row in the Oval Office with Zelensky six weeks ago - claimed yesterday that there were 'millions of people dead because of three people'.

Witkoff, who met with the Kremlin leader last week, has now claimed that the US and Russia ‘might be on the verge of something that would be very, very important for the world at large’. Trump – who had a blazing public row in the Oval Office with Zelensky six weeks ago – claimed yesterday that there were ‘millions of people dead because of three people’.

'Let's say Putin number one, but let's say Biden, who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelensky,' Trump said during a meeting with the visiting president of El Salvador. He then doubled down on his attack on Zelensky. 'He's always looking to purchase missiles,' he said dismissively of the Ukrainian leader's attempts to maintain his country's defense against the Russian invasion. 'When you start a war, you got to know that you can win the war,' Trump said.

‘Let’s say Putin number one, but let’s say Biden, who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelensky,’ Trump said during a meeting with the visiting president of El Salvador. He then doubled down on his attack on Zelensky. ‘He’s always looking to purchase missiles,’ he said dismissively of the Ukrainian leader’s attempts to maintain his country’s defense against the Russian invasion. ‘When you start a war, you got to know that you can win the war,’ Trump said.

'You don't start a war against somebody that's 20 times your size, and then hope that people give you some missiles.' Relations between Trump and Zelensky have been tense ever since the US president stunned the world by opening talks with Russia in February. In the run-up to their televised row on February 28 Trump repeatedly echoed Moscow's talking points - blaming Ukraine for the war and calling Zelensky a 'dictator without elections.'

‘You don’t start a war against somebody that’s 20 times your size, and then hope that people give you some missiles.’ Relations between Trump and Zelensky have been tense ever since the US president stunned the world by opening talks with Russia in February. In the run-up to their televised row on February 28 Trump repeatedly echoed Moscow’s talking points – blaming Ukraine for the war and calling Zelensky a ‘dictator without elections.’

Zelensky has since tried to patch things up, including sending a delegation to Washington last week to discuss a mineral deal Trump has called for, that would give the US preferential access to Ukrainian natural resources. But Trump has stepped up his rhetoric in the last few days and insisted a deal to end the Ukraine war was possible - despite Ukrainian accusations that Moscow is stalling. 'I want to stop the killing, and I think we're doing well in that regard. I think you'll have some very good proposals very soon,' Trump said.

Zelensky has since tried to patch things up, including sending a delegation to Washington last week to discuss a mineral deal Trump has called for, that would give the US preferential access to Ukrainian natural resources. But Trump has stepped up his rhetoric in the last few days and insisted a deal to end the Ukraine war was possible – despite Ukrainian accusations that Moscow is stalling. ‘I want to stop the killing, and I think we’re doing well in that regard. I think you’ll have some very good proposals very soon,’ Trump said.

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Rubio warns Trump to walk away from Ukraine-Russia peace deal efforts

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