U.S. threatens to abandon mediation if Russia and Ukraine do not present 'concrete proposals'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday thatthe United States will stop mediating an end to the war in Ukraine, if Moscow and Kiev do not come up with "concrete proposals."

"We are at a time when both sides must come forward with concrete proposals on how to end this conflict," stated at a press conference Tammy Bruce, a spokesman for the State Department, in what he said was a message from Marco Rubio.

"Work has been ongoing to achieve a cease-fire. A complete, full, durable cease-fire. Not a three-day moment to celebrate something. A complete, full, durable cease-fire, and an end to the conflict."

"How we proceed from here is a decision that belongs to the president. If there is no progress, we will step aside as mediators from this process," Bruce explained.

The DOS spokeswoman stressed that "the secretary and the president, arevery transparent men and that Americans have been able to see this process openly, which in itself is a new experience."

Kremlin responds to Rubio

Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov assured Wednesday that the final peace agreement will be signed with Ukraine, not the United States. Peskov said Putin is willing to negotiatewith the Ukrainian government, but concluded that they do not know whether Kiev would be willing, as Ukraine has not responded.

Donald Trump: "I think if it weren't for me, Putin would have gotten all of Ukraine."

In a interview with ABC, Trump said he believes that Putin wants the whole country,referring to Ukraine, and that theKremlin would have succeeded in that mission had it not won the election in 2024.

"I think Putin wanted all of Ukraine once he went in. I think if he hadn't won the election, he would have gotten all of Ukraine," Trump said, blaming Joe Biden for theRussian invasion of Ukraine.