'Move on...not our war': Will US exit efforts to end Russia-Ukraine war? What Marco Rubio said as Trump gets frustrated

Is the US administration of Donald Trump tired of trying to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war? Amid crunch talks in Paris and nearly three months of efforts by President Trump, the peace effort fatigue is beginning to show. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday (Apr 18) that the US should 'move on' in days, if the efforts are not fruitful, as it's not America's war.

“If it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on,” Rubio said after winding up talks in Paris, where he and special US envoy on Russia and Ukraine Steve Witcoff met French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as European and Ukrainian leaders.

“We need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable.”

Without giving specifics, the US state department said the US peace plan got an encouraging reception during the Paris deliberations, adding that Rubio also dialled Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, to apprise him of the talks.

Marco pointed out that he and Witcoff were in Paris to discuss specifics of what it might take to end the war, and whether indeed it can be ended.

“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 we’re done,” he said.

Repeating a point already made by Trump, Rubio said, “It’s not our war. We didn’t start it." 

The US, he said, has been helping Ukraine for the past three years, "and we want it to end, but it’s not our war.” 

Noting that Trump spent 87 days repeatedly to bring the war to an end, Rubio said, "We are now reaching a point when we need to decide and determine whether this is even possible or not. Which is why we’re engaging both sides.”

Rubio's comments came even as the Ukraine Russia war continued unabated.

An overnight Russian missile attack killed at least one person in Ukraine's Kharkiv city.

On Saturday (Apr 12), Russia attacked the Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing at least  34 people.

Trump appeared to justify the attack, the deadliest in recent days, saying “I was told they [Russia] made a mistake.” 

After the infamous White House fracas involving Trump, US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February, the US and Ukraine are expected to close a minerals deal.

“We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine,” Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a post on X.

“Ahead is the finalisation of the text of the agreement and its signing — and then, ratification by parliaments,” Svyrydenko added.

But the minerals deal is only one aspect in efforts to end the war.

The larger issue remains the adamance of both Ukraine and Russia on making any concessions or ceding territory after three years of war.