US President Donald Trump appears to have lost patience, as well as initial optimism, to quickly end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The White House chief of staff said he would pass the baton to mediate further talks if Moscow and Kiev made it too difficult to reach a peace agreement. The US president told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that he did not expect a ceasefire to happen within days, but that he wanted it to happen as soon as possible.
"If for some reason one of the two sides makes it difficult, we will say you are stupid, you are terrible people and we will pass the baton. But hopefully we will not reach them. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is right when he says we want to see the end," Trump said.
Diaspora earlier Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the US would abandon the talks if there were no clear signs of progress within days. The statements come as Moscow continues its attacks on Ukraine, with two people killed and about 100 others injured in the northeastern cities of Kharkiv and Sumy on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has set a number of conditions for any possible ceasefire. His spokesman Dmitry Peskov said negotiations are difficult and that Russia is interested in a peace that protects the interests of the state.
Meanwhile, during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday, US Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism about an end to the war. His comments came as Ukraine and the US took the first step towards sealing a deal on the minerals, after an initial deal collapsed in February following a dramatic showdown between Trump and Zelensky at the White House. (A2 Televizion)
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