US Threatens to Abandon Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Unless Progress Materializes
- paolo bibat
- Apr 18
- 2 min read
The United States will abandon efforts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within days unless immediate progress materializes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on April 18, framing the ultimatum as a pivot to other global priorities.
The warning follows a high-stakes Paris summit involving U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials—the first such meeting since February—amid stalled ceasefire negotiations and a newly signed U.S.-Ukraine minerals pact.
Rubio emphasized that the Trump administration’s patience is wearing thin after months of fruitless talks. “We need to determine very quickly now—and I’m talking about a matter of days—whether this is doable,” he stated, adding that Washington would otherwise “move on” to other objectives.
The remarks come as Russia continues to reject a U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire unless Kyiv halts military mobilization and NATO aspirations, demands Ukraine calls non-negotiable.
Parallel to the diplomatic standoff, Ukraine and the U.S. signed a memorandum of intent on April 17 to establish an investment fund for reconstruction, targeting critical minerals like lithium, titanium, and uranium.
The agreement, slated for finalization by April 26, aims to leverage Ukraine’s vast resources—including 5% of the world’s critical raw materials and 7% of Europe’s titanium—to attract post-war investments[^provided]. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the deal as “substantially what we’d agreed on previously,” though specifics on repayment terms for military aid remain contentious.
Kyiv’s push for binding U.S. security guarantees has hit resistance, with the Trump administration prioritizing economic over military commitments. The proposed fund, managed jointly by Washington and Kyiv, is seen as a hedge against future Russian aggression, though critics note similar assurances failed to deter Moscow in 2022.
President Trump hinted at the deal’s significance during a press conference, stating, “We have a minerals deal which I guess is going to be signed next Thursday…and I assume they’re going to live up to it.”
The Paris talks revealed deepening rifts, with European allies concerned about Trump’s perceived alignment with Kremlin narratives. A follow-up meeting in London is expected early next week, though Rubio’s participation remains uncertain. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described discussions as focused on a “fair and lasting peace,” including multinational security contingents—a proposal Moscow has repeatedly dismissed.
As the April deadline looms, the White House faces mounting pressure to reconcile its economic ambitions in Ukraine with Kyiv’s insistence on sovereignty and security—a balance that continues to elude negotiators.
