President Donald Trump stated that the United States will consider withdrawing from efforts to resolve the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war if either side makes it too challenging to find a resolution.
Trump’s comments came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked, following discussions with European allies in Paris, that Washington would ‘move on’ if a truce did not appear ‘doable’ shortly.
On Friday, Trump refrained from assigning blame to either Russian President Vladimir Putin, who initiated the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He emphasized that both parties need to demonstrate progress in the negotiations.
‘Now, 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 going to just take a pass,’ Trump stated.
‘But, hopefully, we won’t have to do that.’
Rubio further indicated that Trump’s patience regarding the negotiations might be waning. ‘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, ‘Well, we’re done,” he said.
Despite this, Trump told reporters that he did not want to communicate that he was abandoning the talks. He underscored that he still believes there is a genuine opportunity to resolve the conflict.
‘It’s coming to a head right now,’ he asserted.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism about finding a resolution while on a trip to Rome.
In the context of the ongoing efforts, Ukraine has agreed to a full temporary ceasefire and accused Russia of delaying a deal to enhance its negotiating position.
Last month, Putin rejected a joint U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, while the Kremlin conditioned a truce in the Black Sea on the West lifting certain sanctions.
When asked if Putin was stalling, Trump, who engaged in direct talks with the Russian leader earlier this year, responded, ‘I hope not … I’ll let you know soon.’
Trump also dismissed any claims that he was being ‘played’ by Putin, who had repeatedly denied intentions to invade Ukraine up until the eve of the attack. ‘Nobody’s playing me, I’m trying to help,’ he asserted.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in a recent interview that arriving at an agreement on ‘key components’ of a peace deal is ‘not easy.’
He acknowledged, however, that the Trump administration is making an effort to comprehend the ‘root cause’ of the conflict, which Lavrov attributed to ‘the actions of Washington and Brussels’ in supporting the current Ukrainian government.
Amid the ongoing ceasefire discussions, fighting continues on the ground in Ukraine. A Russian missile strike killed one person in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, and a separate drone attack resulted in another casualty in the nearby city of Sumy.
At least five children were among the numerous individuals injured in the attacks on Kharkiv, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov and emergency services. The missile strike damaged 15 residential buildings, a business, and an educational facility.
In reporting from Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi noted that Russia also targeted cities including Lviv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv. ‘We saw multiple missile, drone, artillery, and rocket attacks in cities across the country about 5 am local time when curfews come to a close and people begin their daily lives,’ he reported.
In Kharkiv, civilian infrastructure was severely impacted, with one death and 74 injuries reported. Five of the injured were children, as detailed by Basravi.
President Zelenskyy remarked on Thursday that while Russia appeared to have reduced its attacks on energy infrastructure, the overall frequency of missile and drone assaults remained consistent, primarily targeting civilian locations instead.
In response to ongoing developments, Russia claimed to have struck ‘key drone production sites’ and Ukrainian military airfields.
Additionally, Moscow warned on Friday of a possible escalation should Germany proceed with plans to send Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine. At a United Nations session, Russia’s ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, asserted that this action would imply Germany’s direct involvement in the conflict.
These developments underscore the fragile status of negotiations and the urgent need for a resolution to the ongoing conflict.
image source from：https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/18/trump-says-us-may-pass-on-helping-end-war-if-russia-ukraine-resist-deal
