U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the upcoming week will be crucial for determining whether the U.S. will continue its involvement in efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, NBC News reported on April 27.
"This is going to be a really important week in which we're going to have to decide whether we want to continue to engage in this effort, or whether it's time for us to shift our focus to other issues that are just as, if not more, important,” Rubio told NBC.
Rubio emphasized that prospects for reaching a peace agreement are closer than at any time in the past three years but acknowledged that a final deal has not yet been reached.
When asked how much longer U.S. President Donald Trump is willing to give Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement, Rubio declined to set a specific deadline.
"It would be wrong to set a specific date... The president has spent a lot of time and energy on this, and I think we've brought the parties closer than they've been in a long time, but we're still not there," Rubio said.
He added that while there are reasons for optimism, it is also important to remain realistic about the situation.
Trump and Zelensky held a "productive" meeting in St. Peter's Basilica following the funeral ceremony — their first in-person encounter since their heated argument at the White House in February. While both sides praised the April 26 meeting as constructive, neither party disclosed the details of the leaders' conversation.
Meanwhile, Russia has intensified its strikes against civilian areas in Ukraine as Trump pushes for a peace deal, with a Russian attack killing at least 12 civilians and injuring around 90 in Kyiv on April 24.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
