More frightening news out of Little Marco’s State Department…..concerning any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia….

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that President Donald Trump will decide if ending the war in Ukraine is possible sometime in the coming days.

“We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end. So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks,” Rubio told reporters in Paris.

President Trump made ending the war in Ukraine one of his top campaign promises. Since taking office in January, his staff has engaged in several rounds of high-level talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials.

“The president feels very strongly about that. He has dedicated a lot of time and energy to this… this is important, but there are a lot of other really important things going on that deserve just as much, if not more attention,” Rubio said.

…

Trump and Rubio have stated that Russia is not engaging quickly enough in the diplomatic process. The president and secretary of state have both threatened new sanctions on Russia in recent weeks if the Kremlin does not agree to a deal to end the conflict very soon.

Moscow appears to be unwilling to accelerate the pace of talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the issue was “so complex that it’s unrealistic to expect immediate results.”

Following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, US-Russian relations sank to a historic low point, with almost no contact between Washington and Russia during that period. Early rounds of talks between US and Russian officials focused on returning to a normal diplomatic relationship.

While Trump and Rubio have placed blame on Moscow for the lack of progress towards a peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly declared that Kiev would not surrender any territory to bring the war to an end.

Additionally, Kiev is moving closer to signing a deal to allow Washington to recapture some of the money spent on Ukraine aid by seizing profits from sales of oil, gas and rare earth minerals. A top Ukrainian official said a memorandum of intent was signed on Thursday, and the deal is expected to be inked next week.

It’s unclear if the arrangement includes security guarantees for Ukraine, but Rubio told reporters the issue came up during his talks in Paris.

(antiwar.com)

The US will decide?  The war is between Ukraine and Russia the US has NO right to determine what or when the war will end….that is for the two combatants to decide all the US should be doing is offering any assistance they may need to come to a peaceful conclusion of their hostilities.

If Zelenskyy (why two ‘yy’ s?) had any balls he would tell the US to sit and stay out of the process.

But he owes too much to the West for him to assert himself like that.

So there you have it….the US decides who and when they will fight.

Kinda pathetic in my book.

Then there is a report that Putin may be willing to halt the invasion….

The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was willing to halt his invasion of Ukraine across the current frontlines to reach a peace deal with President Trump.

If true, the position would mark a significant concession from Russia, which has maintained that any peace deal must include the recognition of the four Ukrainian Oblasts it has annexed as part of Russia, including territory that’s not under Russian control.

The Financial Times report said that Putin made the offer during recent talks with President Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, in St. Petersburg earlier this month. After the meeting, Witkoff said he believed a peace deal was possible.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the US has made a proposal to Ukraine and its European allies on a potential ceasefire deal that would involve freezing the battle lines and the US recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. The peninsula has been under Russian control since 2014.

European and Ukrainian officials are expected to meet and discuss the US proposal on Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine would never recognize Crimea as Russian, signaling he may not support the US proposal.

Zelensky also said that he would be willing to negotiate directly with Russia if a ceasefire was reached. His comments came after Putin suggested he was ready for direct talks with the Ukrainians.

What back door promises are being made to Putin for this change of heart?

Is this something or is it just a delaying tactic?

What kind of deal did Putin and Trump come to?

Is the NATO thing the fire that made Putin perk up?

The Kremlin said on Monday that Moscow welcomed statements from US officials that ruled out Ukrainian entry into NATO.

“We have heard statements made at various levels in Washington that Ukraine’s NATO membership is ruled out. This is something that brings us satisfaction and aligns with our stance,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to TASS.

Several high-level Trump administration officials, including President Trump himself, have said that any peace deal to end the war in Ukraine would not involve Ukrainian membership in NATO.

Russia sought a guarantee from the US that Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO before it launched its invasion in February 2022, but the Biden administration refused to engage with Moscow on the issue. During short-lived peace talks in March and April of 2022, which were discouraged by the US, Russia’s main demand was for Ukrainian neutrality.

(antiwar.com)

This may all be a fart in a hurricane….so take it with a grain of salt…..for now.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”