Axios: The US statements about possible withdrawal from negotiations were mostly directed against Ukraine

Statements by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about a possible withdrawal from the negotiation process were directed mostly against Ukraine.

Axios reports this, citing three European diplomats.

A source close to the Ukrainian government also believes the same, noting that Rubioʼs comments appear to be aimed at pressuring Ukraine. The source is also concerned that Trumpʼs withdrawal from the talks could lead to the termination of US military aid to Ukraine.

At the same time, European diplomats reported that during meetings with partners in Paris, Rubio did not talk about increasing pressure on Russia.

“It seemed that Rubio and Witkoff were under a lot of pressure from Trump, and they were directing it at other players,” said one European diplomat.

Axios writes that a few days before public statements about the possible US withdrawal from the negotiations, Trump privately expressed his frustration with several of his top advisers, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, in a conversation about the ceasefire.

According to an unnamed American official, it was then that the US president expressed the idea that if an agreement was not reached soon, he could simply move on to other foreign policy issues.

After that, Rubio shared Trumpʼs disappointment with partners from France, Great Britain, Germany, and Ukraine at meetings in Paris.

“Rubio did not say specifically what such a move would look like, only emphasizing that the US wants rapid progress,” one European diplomat told Axios.

Ceasefire negotiations

Washington is negotiating with Russia and Ukraine to end the war, but a true ceasefire is still in sight. Kyiv has already agreed to halt hostilities in the Black Sea and not attack Russian energy facilities during a 30-day truce. Moscow, in return, has only promised not to attack energy facilities and said it would implement the Black Sea agreements only after Western sanctions are lifted.

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that Russia is violating the partial ceasefire and warned the Russians against dragging out the peace process. The US President Donald Trump had previously promised to impose tough sanctions against Russia in such a case, but has not yet done so.

Rubio said on April 18, after meeting with allies in Paris on April 17, that the United States could end its mediation in establishing peace in Ukraine in a few days if it does not see clear signs of the possibility of reaching a peace agreement.

On the same day, Trump confirmed his Secretary of State Rubioʼs statement that the US would withdraw from the negotiations if the parties made it difficult to end the war in Ukraine.

• It was at the Paris meetings, according to Bloomberg, that the American side presented its allies with a proposal for a settlement in Ukraine, which includes conditions for a cessation of hostilities and easing of sanctions against the Russian Federation. This proposal will effectively freeze the war, and the Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia will remain under Moscowʼs control, the publicationʼs sources say. Ukraineʼs aspirations to join NATO will also not be discussed.
• Bloomberg also reported that the US is ready to recognize Crimea as Russian as part of a future peace agreement. At the same time, Zelensky has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not recognize any of its occupied territories as Russian — these are red lines. On April 17, the president said that Ukraine is discussing a ceasefire with the US, but without the issue of territories.

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