**U.S. Officials Express Hope for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal, but Doubts Linger**
In a recent interview with the Honestly podcast, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine could be reached soon, but sounded cautious about the possibility of a deal materializing within a week.
“We have to get to something quickly,” Rubio said on April 23, “and I remain hopeful that we can get something done because this is a terrible war and it needs to end.” However, when asked if he thought a deal could be struck by the end of the week, Rubio hedged his bets. “I don’t know about by the end of the week,” he said.
Rubio’s comments come as the White House ramps up diplomatic efforts to persuade Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate an end to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier declared that a deal between Ukraine and Russia could be struck “this week.” However, Rubio’s skepticism suggests that the process may take longer than initially thought.
**U.S. Understands Russia’s Position Better**
In the same interview, Rubio also revealed that the U.S. has reestablished contact with Moscow, which he believes has given Washington a better understanding of Russia’s position. This is significant because former U.S. President Joe Biden had cut off formal communications with the Kremlin after the start of the invasion in February 2022.
“We have a better understanding of that now because we’ve actually spoken to them after three years of not speaking to them,” Rubio said. This renewed communication may help facilitate negotiations, but it remains unclear how this will impact the peace process.
**No Military End to the War**
Rubio also emphasized that there is “no military end” to the war in Ukraine. He pointed out that Russia’s position is not simply a matter of occupying and holding onto Ukrainian territory, while Ukraine cannot push them back to where they were before 2014. This underscores the complexity and entrenched nature of the conflict.
**U.S. Proposal for Peace**
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has submitted a “very explicit proposal” to both Kyiv and Moscow, which includes freezing current front lines and accepting that both sides will need to cede some territorial claims. Vance warned that unless progress is made, Washington may abandon its mediation efforts.
“We really tried to understand things from the perspectives of both Ukrainians and Russians,” he said, describing the plan as “very fair.” However, it remains unclear whether this proposal will be accepted by either side.
**Washington’s Limited Patience**
Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff declined to participate in diplomatic meetings taking place in London on April 23, which were originally planned as a ministerial-level summit involving the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and Ukraine. This suggests that Washington may be growing impatient with the pace of negotiations.
“Ultimately it’s not up to us,” Rubio said. “It’s up to Russia, and it’s up to Ukraine. They have to make the decision that they’re willing to move closer to one another, and we need to start to see progress.” This suggests that Washington is holding out hope for a breakthrough, but will not continue to invest significant diplomatic effort if progress does not materialize soon.
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