Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the US will end its role as mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war unless solid proposals for progress are delivered.
Mr Rubio has previously voiced frustration about the pace of negotiations and the continuing bloodshed in Ukraine, which Russia invaded more than three years ago.
“We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce quoted Mr Rubio as saying.
“How we proceed from here is a decision that belongs now to [US President Donald Trump]. If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process.”
She repeated that “now is the time” and called Mr Rubio's statement “pivotal”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently proposed a three-day ceasefire around Moscow's commemorations of the end of the Second World War, but has rebuffed a Ukrainian-backed US call for a 30-day ceasefire.
The US wants “not a three-day moment so you can celebrate something else – a complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict”, Ms Bruce said.
In his campaign, Mr Trump vowed to end Russia’s war in Ukraine in the first 24 hours of his administration. After a weekend meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican, he called on Mr Putin to make a deal on the terms promoted by US mediators.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on Monday that Mr Trump is increasingly frustrated with leaders of both countries.
More on Quran memorisation:
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
