US President Donald Trump has warned that Washington may "take a pass" on facilitating further peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine if either side continues to obstruct efforts to reach a ceasefire.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, President Trump said he was not working on a strict timeline for a truce, but hoped a settlement could be reached “quickly.” He added that if Moscow or Kyiv made the process “very difficult,” the United States would disengage from the talks altogether.

“We’re talking about people dying here. We’re going to get it stopped, ideally,” the President said. “But if 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.”

The comments came just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a similar warning during a press briefing, stating that the US would not continue pursuing negotiations “for weeks and months on end” without concrete signs of progress.

“cc— and I’m talking about a matter of days—whether or not this is doable,” Rubio said, following a meeting with European leaders in Paris. “If it’s not going to happen, then we’re just going to move on.”

Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes continued across northeastern Ukraine on Friday, killing at least two people and injuring more than 100 in the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy. Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Russian troops have been making gradual advances in the eastern regions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, reacting to Trump’s remarks, acknowledged that ongoing negotiations were “quite difficult.” He reiterated that Russia remains open to dialogue, but is seeking a peace settlement that safeguards its interests.

“The Russian side is striving to reach a peace settlement in this conflict, to ensure its own interests, and is open to dialogue,” Peskov said.

US Vice President JD Vance, currently on an official visit to Rome, expressed cautious optimism over the prospects of ending the war. Speaking after a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Vance said, “I won’t prejudge the outcome, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this very brutal war to a close.”

In a related development, the US and Ukraine signed a memorandum of intent on Thursday to establish an investment fund aimed at post-war reconstruction. The fund is expected to focus on Ukraine’s minerals sector and broader energy infrastructure, with the goal of finalising the agreement by April 26, according to a document released by the Ukrainian government.

The deal, seen as a key component of a proposed economic partnership, follows months of stalled negotiations. Sources suggest the agreement may include provisions beyond minerals, including Ukrainian oil and gas assets. However, details remain unclear.

Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced the memorandum on X, posting photos of herself and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signing the document remotely. “There is a lot to do, but the current pace and significant progress give reason to expect that the document will be very beneficial for both countries,” she wrote.

President Trump also alluded to the deal during his press conference with Meloni, saying, “We have a minerals deal which I guess is going to be signed on (next) Thursday... and I assume they’re going to live up to the deal. So we’ll see.”

Ukrainian lawmakers have expressed cautious support, with MP Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, chair of the parliamentary committee on EU Integration, stating that parliament would have “the last word” on ratification. “I hope that whatever is signed is in the interest of our country and our people,” she told the BBC.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also met with Rubio and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Paris on Thursday. According to Sybiha, the parties discussed the conditions for a “fair and lasting peace,” including a full ceasefire, a multinational peacekeeping contingent, and security guarantees for Ukraine.

Despite Trump’s earlier campaign claim that he would end the war “within 24 hours” of taking office, the peace process remains mired in complexities. Kyiv has insisted on security guarantees as part of any deal, while Washington has so far refrained from offering any formal commitment.