US State Secretary Marco Rubio Warns Russia: ‘Trump Won’t Fall Into Trap Of Endless Negotiations’
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said Washington would soon determine whether Moscow is genuinely committed to ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as European allies accused the Kremlin of delaying tactics in response to the Trump administration’s call for a ceasefire. Rubio made the remarks at the conclusion of a two-day NATO meeting, where concerns were raised over Russia’s reluctance to engage meaningfully in peace efforts.
“We will know soon enough, in a matter of weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they are,” Rubio said, according to a Reuters report. He added, “If this is dragging things out, President Trump’s not going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations about negotiations.”
Rubio reiterated that Russia’s sincerity would be judged by its actions rather than words. “We’re testing to see if the Russians are interested in peace. Their actions — not their words, their actions — will determine whether they’re serious or not, and we intend to find that out sooner rather than later,” he added.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin is committed to peace, sources cited by Reuters indicated that the White House has grown increasingly cautious about Moscow’s intentions in recent days.
In March, Russia rejected a U.S. proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire, despite Ukraine agreeing to the plan. A limited truce focused on halting attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure was later arranged, though both sides have accused each other of violating it. Washington maintains it remains in dialogue with both Kyiv and Moscow.
Europe Pressures U.S. For Firm Line, Questions Russia’s Intentions Over Ceasefire In Ukraine
European leaders are pushing the U.S. to demand clear commitments from Russia. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said, “Moscow owes an answer to the United States which had worked very hard to come up with a mediation effort and a ceasefire proposal.”
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy took a harsher tone, accusing the Russian President of prolonging the war deliberately. “He could accept a ceasefire now, he continues to bombard Ukraine, its civilian population, its energy supplies. We see you, Vladimir Putin, we know what you are doing,” Lammy remarked, as per the report.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock echoed the concerns, saying that Putin’s talk of negotiations amounted to “nothing but empty promises,” and accused him of “playing for time by raising ever new demands.”
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Canada and Estonia called for specific timelines to be set for Russia to accept a ceasefire.
A senior U.S. State Department official told Reuters that while there was no unanimous agreement on setting a deadline to escalate pressure on Moscow, there was shared urgency. “There was consensus that Russia needs to do more, that Russia should agree to a ceasefire,” the official said.
The report also noted that European confidence in Washington as the continent’s security guarantor has been tested in recent months by Trump’s outreach to Moscow. When asked whether NATO allies had received reassurances from Rubio that the U.S. would not make concessions unfavourable to Europe, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said, “I felt that the room had a broad agreement on where the red lines are.”
A senior European diplomat echoed this cautiously optimistic sentiment, saying: “I would say that he (Rubio) said all the right things. But the point is whether there is enough trust left between the U.S. and its allies.”
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