US signals impatience over Ukraine war as mediation falters

As the war between Russia and Ukraine grinds on with no clear path to peace, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a stark warning: unless both nations present actionable peace proposals, Washington may withdraw from its role as mediator.

The warning, delivered Tuesday by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, reflects mounting frustration in Washington and a potential turning point in President Donald Trump’s foreign policy strategy. Trump, who marked his 100th day in office this week, had famously promised to end the war within his first 24 hours in the White House. That promise, however, remains far from fulfilled.

“We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict,” Bruce said, relaying Rubio’s message to reporters. “If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process.”

While Bruce emphasized that the final decision rests with the President, the statement underscores a broader concern: that U.S.-led diplomacy is stalling in the face of entrenched positions on both sides. Russia recently proposed a symbolic three-day ceasefire to coincide with Moscow’s commemorations of the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end, a gesture Washington dismissed as insufficient.

“We are not interested in a three-day moment so you can celebrate something else,” Bruce said. “We want a complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict.”

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President Trump, in a televised interview Tuesday, suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to dialogue. “I think he does want peace,” Trump said, though critics argue the administration has been too willing to accommodate Moscow.

The U.S. has floated a framework for negotiations that reportedly includes contentious elements such as potential recognition of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and discussions around land swaps. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking via videoconference at an event in Poland, was firm in his rejection of such terms.

“We all want this war to end in a fair way with no rewards for Putin, especially no land,” Zelensky declared.

Meanwhile, on the international stage, Russia continues to accuse Ukraine of stalling the peace process. Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia claimed, “Zelensky is bent on escalating the conflict. He’s recklessly rejecting the United States’ balanced peace proposals.”

U.S. diplomat John Kelley countered that both sides stood to benefit from engaging with the framework on the table, while sharply condemning recent Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. “Right now, Russia has a great opportunity to achieve a durable peace,” Kelley said.

Despite diplomatic efforts, tensions continue to flare. Last week, a ballistic missile struck a residential area of Kyiv, in one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since the war began. In response, President Trump took to social media with a direct plea to Putin: “Vladimir, STOP.”

Domestically, the administration’s approach to negotiations has come under fire from both allies and critics. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voiced strong disapproval on Tuesday.

“Recognizing Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea would invite additional aggression from Moscow and Beijing,” Shaheen warned. “President Trump and his team have fatally mismanaged these negotiations offering concession after concession to Russia, throwing away our leverage and fracturing the united front with our allies.”

Amid the geopolitical maneuvering, human suffering on the ground continues to mount. Ukraine on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of seven villages in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, once distant from the front lines but now increasingly threatened by advancing Russian forces.

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