The next week will be “very critical” in determining whether the US can continue attempting to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, the US’ top diplomat said today, suggesting President Donald Trump’s deadline for reaching a deal was swiftly approaching.
“We’re close, but we’re not close enough,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He described Moscow and Kyiv as closer than ever to striking an agreement, but still tempered expectations for a breakthrough.
“This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important,” Rubio said.
Some context: The comments are the latest sign that Trump is losing patience in trying to bring the conflict to an end. As he butts up to his hundredth day in office, Trump has voiced frustration at both Russia and Ukraine for resisting US efforts to bring peace.
Trump, who once promised to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, has told advisers recently that resolving the conflict has been more difficult that he expected.
Go deeper: Trump is just the latest US leader who Russian President Vladimir Putin has tried to outmaneuver on a global stage. Read CNN’s analysis here.
