Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that the moment has arrived for Moscow and Kyiv to present actual plans to bring the Ukraine war to an end, warning that if tangible steps aren’t taken, the United States would pull back from its role as a mediator, according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
“We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict,” Bruce said, reading from Rubio’s remarks.
Bruce went on to explain that, “How we proceed from here is a decision that belongs now to the President. If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process,” referencing President Donald Trump’s ongoing effort to broker an agreement between the two nations.
At a press conference, Bruce clarified that America’s goal is to achieve a “complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict,” and not simply “a three-day moment so you can celebrate something else.”
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a limited three-day ceasefire set for May, tied to commemorating the Soviet Union’s and its allies’ victory in World War II 80 years ago, a gesture seemingly aimed at demonstrating Russia’s continued willingness to pursue peace.
Ukraine, however, expressed skepticism, questioning why Russia would not agree to its proposal for a ceasefire of at least 30 days to take effect immediately.
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have been eager to show President Trump that they are moving closer to achieving his goal of a swift peace agreement, particularly after the United States signaled frustration and warned it might step away from its diplomatic efforts.
Since assuming office in January, Trump has dramatically reshaped Washington’s stance on the conflict, pushing Ukraine to accept a ceasefire deal while simultaneously reducing the pressure campaign against Russia, which had launched its full invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
{Matzav.com}