Trump says Ukraine talks near turning point — “Nobody is playing me”

Apr 19, 2025 - 05:00

President Donald Trump emphasized that efforts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine are reaching a critical juncture, telling reporters at the White House that the situation is “coming to a head right now.”

Trump stated, “We have a really good chance” of securing a deal, expressing cautious optimism about the prospects for peace.

The president dismissed suggestions that he’s being manipulated by either side in the negotiations.

“My whole life has been one big negotiation, and I know when people are playing us and when they are not,” Trump said. “Nobody is playing me. I’m trying to help.”

While expressing hope for a resolution, Trump also warned about the limits of American patience.

“If, for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say, you’re foolish, you’re fools, you’re horrible people, and we’re going to just take a pass,” he declared.

Rubio warns of US exit

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this stance on 17 April in Paris, saying the US would withdraw from mediation efforts without quick progress.

“If peace is possible, we’re in. If not, we have other priorities,” Rubio stated following the first negotiations involving US, Ukrainian, and European delegations.

The Paris talks represented a shift in approach, as the Trump administration had previously conducted separate consultations with Russia and Ukraine without European involvement. The meeting brought together Rubio and Trump’s envoy Stephen Witkoff, who met with Putin in St. Petersburg the previous week, alongside Ukraine’s foreign and defense ministers, the influential head of Zelenskyy’s Office, French President Emmanuel Macron, and senior officials from the UK and Germany.

While campaigning, Trump promised to end the war within 24 hours of taking office. He later extended this timeline to six months after returning to the White House.

Trump is reportedly applying pressure on both sides through threats of increased Russian sanctions and potential withdrawal of billions in US military support for Kyiv. Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire without preconditions a month ago, but it remains unclear what additional concessions are now being sought from Kyiv to advance the peace talks.

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