Trump: U.S.’ll abandon Ukraine peace deal if no progress soon

United States President Donald Trump says the country will “take a pass” on brokering further Ukraine war talks unless there is quick progress from Russia and Ukraine.

Trump said this on Friday, April 18, 2025, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented.

This followed talks with European allies – that the United States would “move on” if a truce did not seem “doable” within days.

“Yeah, very shortly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked to confirm what Rubio had said.

“No specific number of days, but quickly. We want to get it done,” the president added.

Trump refused to cast blame on either Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the February 2022 full-scale invasion of pro-Western Ukraine, or Ukrainian President Voloydmyr Zelensky.

Trump, however, insisted both sides had to make progress.

He said: “Now, if for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say: ‘You’re foolish. You’re fools. You’re horrible people’ – and we’re going to just take a pass.

Russian missile strike kills 18 in Zelensky’s hometown

“But hopefully we won’t have to do that.”

Trump boasted repeatedly before returning for a second presidential term that he would end the Ukraine war within 24 hours. He claimed recently that he was being sarcastic.

Ukraine has agreed to a full temporary ceasefire and accused Russia of stalling on a deal to get a better negotiating position.

Trump stunned Western capitals when he opened direct talks with Putin in February, soon after taking office.

He said he hoped the Russian leader was not dragging his feet.

“I hope not,” he said when asked if Putin was stalling.

“I’ll let you know soon,” Trump added.

Trump denied that he was being “played” by the former KGB agent, who denied Russia was going to invade right up until the eve of the attack.

“Nobody’s playing me, I’m trying to help,” AFP quoted Trump as saying.

The Star