"If for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say: 'you're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people,' and we're just going to take a pass. But hopefully we won't have to do that," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
U.S. officials said they expect tangible progress soon, while European participants pushed Washington to prepare a harsher response if Moscow fails to engage, Bloomberg reported.
Speaking after meeting European and Ukrainian officials for ceasefire talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump is interested in reaching a deal but has other priorities.
"(U.S.) President (Donald) Trump and the United States want this war to end, and have now presented to all parties the outlines of a durable and lasting peace," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are set to travel to Paris later this week for high-level meetings on ending the war in Ukraine, the U.S. State Department said on April 16.
The proposed cuts for the next fiscal year would reportedly leave $28.4 billion for all State Department activities, a 48% reduction from the 2025 budget approved by Congress.
Moscow released Ksenia Karelina, a U.S.-Russian dual national accused of treason for allegedly raising money for the Ukrainian military, the WSJ wrote.
Key developments on April 4: * US to know whether Russia 'serious about peace' with Ukraine in coming weeks, Rubio says * US, Russia make 'significant progress' towards Ukraine ceasefire deal, Kremlin negotiator claims * Trump's team advises against calling Putin until Russia agrees to Ukraine ceasefire, NBC reports * More F-16 jets being
"We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they are," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
"As we speak right now, the United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press briefing alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"In Brussels, Secretary Rubio will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting to discuss security priorities for the Alliance, including increased Allied defense investment and securing lasting peace in Ukraine," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
The U.S. has secured the data and ensured that it can be transferred "to any appropriate authorities," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, some of the sanctions Russia wants lifted "are not ours — they belong to the European Union."
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, claims he was mistakenly added to a private Signal chat where Trump administration officials discussed strikes on Yemen.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio seen by Reuters on March 24, senators questioned the administration’s willingness to use all available financial tools to pressure Russia into ending its war against Ukraine.
U.S. negotiators will meet separately with Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Riyadh on March 24, but although contours of a potential partial ceasefire proposal are beginning to form, Kyiv remains skeptical of Moscow's intentions. The upcoming discussions are meant to flesh out technical details on what this ceasefire, either
Budapest had initially planned to veto the sanctions renewal, citing U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House and the possibility of a shift in U.S. policy toward Russia.
Speaking on CBS’s "Face the Nation" on March 16, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the primary goal is to secure a ceasefire before moving forward with broader negotiations for a permanent resolution.
U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on March 15 as Washington attempts to persuade Moscow to accept a 30-day ceasefire deal.
The group’s communiqué, released on March 14, affirmed Ukraine’s "territorial integrity and right to exist," while condemning Russian "acts of aggression." However, its language was softer than the G7 leaders' statement from November 2024.
"There is reason to be cautiously optimistic, but by the same token, we continue to recognize this is a difficult and complex situation," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 14.
"Here’s what we’d like the world to look like in a few days: Neither side is shooting at each other — not rockets, not missiles, not bullets, nothing, not artillery," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 12. "The shooting stops, the fighting stops, and the talking starts."
"Yeah, we’ve had conversations," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said when asked about potential discussions regarding Ukraine ceding territory.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope on March 11 that Russia would accept the proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine.
Asked whether the Ukrainian delegation would push for renewed military aid during talks in Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded, "I can assure you this: We will not be providing military aid to the Russians."
Ukrainian and U.S. delegates are starting their talks in Jeddah on March 11, launching a meeting that will likely have a major impact on Washington's future support for Kyiv and any effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that any final resolution to the war would have to involve European leaders "because of their sanctions that they've imposed."
While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not specify details of a potential agreement, he clarified that mutual concessions would be key to any diplomatic resolution.
Key developments on March 10: * No threat of encirclement for Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Russia attempting to gain foothold in Sumy Oblast, Border Guard warns * Ukraine strikes Samara Oblast refinery producing fuel for Russian fighter jets, bombers, source claims * Ukraine to propose ceasefire at sea, in
"I think the notion of the pause in aid, broadly, is something I hope we can resolve. Obviously, what happens tomorrow will be key to that," Marco Rubio said.
The U.S. has officially canceled 83% of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, with the roughly 1,000 remaining contracts to be administered by the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 10.
"If they are only interested in 2014 or 2022 borders, that tells you something," an unnamed U.S. official said.
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