Bangladesh, April 18 -- In a striking shift in tone, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hinted that Washington may soon abandon its efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, should the ongoing negotiations fail to show tangible progress in the near term. Rubios comments, delivered to reporters on April 18 following a high-level meeting in Paris, mark one of the clearest signals yet that the Biden administration may be reaching the limits of its patience in pursuing a diplomatic solution to the drawn-out conflict.

The gathering in Paris included officials from Ukraine, France, Britain, and Germany, forming part of a broader Western initiative to explore the feasibility of a ceasefire and eventual peace agreement. While Rubio ...