“US to move on` from Ukraine peace efforts if no progress within days”

Marco Rubio, the US's secretary of state, has said the Trump administration could abandon its Ukraine war peace efforts within days unless there's progress, reports skynews.

Meanwhile, a minerals deal between the US and Ukraine looks set to be made official next week.

Marco Rubio's comments are the strongest indication yet of Washington's apparent growing frustration at the lack of progress in peace talks.

It's been two months since Donald Trump initiated negotiations, with a call to Vladimir Putin, in the hope of bringing the conflict to a swift conclusion.

Since then, his team has sat down with both sides on multiple occasions, at multiple levels, in multiple locations.

There was a much-touted 30-day ceasefire covering strikes on energy infrastructure, but it never formally began.

And with both sides continuing to accuse the other of violating it, 30 days have now passed and the agreement seems to have disappeared without a trace.

Then there was supposed to be a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.

But again, that still hasn't actually materialised, because Russia says it will only take part if certain sanctions are lifted first._Agencies.