U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance expressed doubts about the chances of reaching a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
“I think we know where Ukraine stands and where Russia stands right now… They are closer, but still far apart,” Rubio said in a May 1st interview on Fox News.
Meanwhile, Vance, speaking in a separate interview on the same network, went further, saying the war in Ukraine is unlikely to end “anytime soon.”
Rubio noted that if there isn’t meaningful progress in Ukraine soon, President Donald Trump will have to decide how much more time to dedicate to the negotiation process.
The U.S. has previously warned that talks are entering a “critical phase,” and that a lack of progress could lead Washington to pull back from efforts to mediate an end to the conflict.
Rubio stated last week that while “real progress” has been made in negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “the final steps in this journey are always the hardest, and they must happen quickly.”
Trump, who began his second term in January, has made ending the war one of his top priorities. He has called for an immediate and total ceasefire, and urged Russia to halt attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Vance said he remains “optimistic” that fighting can be stopped, but emphasized that the final decision rests with Kyiv and Moscow.
“They are the ones who must take the final step,” he said. “At this point, both sides understand each other’s conditions for peace. It’s up to them to reach an agreement and end this extraordinarily brutal conflict.”
“This is going nowhere… It’s not going to end anytime soon,” Vance added.
Ukraine has expressed interest in a 30-day ceasefire as a pathway to negotiate a just peace. Russia has not agreed to such a ceasefire, but President Vladimir Putin has unilaterally declared a three-day truce next week, coinciding with Victory Day, and the Kremlin has stated it remains open to direct talks with Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue deadly drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities almost nightly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western allies to take tougher measures against the Kremlin.
