U
S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has openly stated the possibility of the United States withdrawing from the peace process concerning Ukraine, which has caused significant concern in international circles. During a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, he confirmed that America is ready to cease its efforts to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia if a clear and convincing path to peace is not found in the near future. According to Department of State spokesperson Temmie Bruce, this conversation marked an important stage in the dialogue between the two allies. She explained that Rubio informed his German colleague about the recent Ukrainian peace initiative, which Ukrainian representatives presented in Paris on Thursday, as well as about the phone contacts with Russia’s side. She added that the high-ranking official emphasized that the United States hopes for a positive response and is confident that the proposed plan can lead to a long-awaited and stable peace in the region. “The Secretary of State expressed hope that the Ukrainian proposal will be supported and will advance the process toward a stable and lasting peace. At the same time, he underscored that the U.S. remains committed to diplomatic efforts to end the war. However, according to him, if there is no real progress in the coming days, Washington will be forced to step back from its role as mediator,” Bruce stated in her official comment. This signaling message from Washington appeared on the eve of the mentioned diplomatic consultations, once again emphasizing the seriousness of the United States’ intentions regarding the situation in Ukraine. Previously, Rubio openly stated that sanctions and diplomatic pressure could lose their effectiveness if significant progress toward peace is not observed within a few days. Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump also highlighted that the USA is ready to halt all attempts to broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow if it becomes evident that efforts have reached an impasse. However, he did not specify specific criteria or timeframes under which Washington would cease supporting the diplomatic process. Currently, the situation remains tense, and the prospects for finding a compromise have been in question for some time. At the same time, this signal from Washington is perceived by many analysts as a sign of the United States’ readiness to dramatically change its stance on supporting reconciliation if diplomatic efforts do not yield the desired results. The lack of a clear peace outlook could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability and international security overall.