President Donald Trump is seeking to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal and has set a deadline of a few days to determine if a deal can be made. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the president is dedicated to this endeavor, but there are other important matters that also require attention. Trump has indicated that he expects to sign a deal with Kyiv next week that would grant the US access to Ukraine’s minerals, despite a previous attempt in February falling apart due to disagreements with Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Following talks in Paris between US, European, and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio described the discussions as constructive and positive. This marked the first substantive, high-level, and in-person talks regarding Trump’s peace push that involved European powers. The US peace framework received an “encouraging reception” from the participants, indicating a potential for progress in the negotiations. However, mounting frustrations in the White House over the lack of progress in resolving various geopolitical challenges have emphasized the urgency of reaching a deal in a short timeframe.
Rubio communicated with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the talks in Paris, discussing the constructive nature of the discussions and briefing him on elements of the US peace framework. The issue of US security guarantees as part of any potential deal was raised during the talks, and Rubio mentioned that this issue could be resolved in a manner acceptable to all parties. However, he acknowledged that there are bigger challenges that need to be addressed and resolved within a short period, indicating the difficulty of striking a peace deal but emphasizing the need for signs of progress in the negotiation process.
While Rubio stressed that a peace deal may not be achievable within 12 hours, it is crucial to assess how far apart the parties are and whether the existing differences can be narrowed down to facilitate movement towards a potential deal within the stipulated time frame. The urgency of determining the feasibility of reaching a deal soon was highlighted, underscoring the need for tangible progress in the negotiations. However, there has been no immediate response from French authorities regarding the outcome of the talks in Paris, leaving uncertainties about the future direction of the peace negotiations and the possibility of a successful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
