Rubio says “now we have an extended methods to go” earlier than peace talks over ending Russia, Ukraine conflict
Washington — Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated “now we have an extended methods to go” earlier than commencing any potential peace talks with Russia aimed toward ending the conflict in Ukraine, including that “nothing has been finalized” relating to doable upcoming conferences between U.S. and Russian officers in Saudi Arabia.
“We stand able to observe the president’s lead on this and start to discover methods, if these alternatives current itself, to start a course of towards peace,” Rubio stated on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday.
Mr. Trump stated final week that he had a “prolonged and extremely productive telephone name” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and introduced that he was directing Rubio and different members of his nationwide safety workforce to “instantly” start negotiations aimed toward ending Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. Mr. Trump additionally spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Rubio, talking from Israel the place he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, is heading to Saudi Arabia on the subsequent leg of his present journey abroad. Rubio famous that his journey had been scheduled earlier than Mr. Trump’s calls with Putin and Zelenskyy. He can be joined by nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s Center East envoy.
The secretary of state stated Putin “expressed his curiosity in peace” throughout his name with Mr. Trump, who he stated made clear “his need to see an finish of this battle in a means that was enduring and that protected Ukrainian sovereignty.”
Requested whether or not he believes Putin is able to negotiate and make concessions so as to finish the preventing, Rubio stated the decision should be adopted by motion, and that “the subsequent few weeks and days will decide whether or not it is critical or not.”
“One telephone name doesn’t clear up a conflict as complicated as this one,” Rubio stated. “However I can inform you that Donald Trump is the one chief on this planet that might doubtlessly start that course of.”
Rubio, who additionally met with Zelenskyy on the Munich Safety Convention on Friday, stated “we’ll see what occurs over the subsequent few days.” He stated if there’s a possibility “at any time limit” to “start to create a gap for a broader dialog” on ending the conflict, he would “discover it.”
“A course of in the direction of peace isn’t a one-meeting factor. This conflict has been happening for some time,” Rubio stated. “It is troublesome, it is sophisticated, it has been bloody, it has been expensive. So it won’t be simple to finish a battle like this, and there are different events at stake which have opinions on this as effectively.”
The feedback come as retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. particular envoy for Ukraine and Russia who could be concerned with any potential peace talks, indicated that there could be parallel tracks of negotiations, with completely different events dealing with talks with Russia and Ukraine individually. That prospect has unsettled Ukrainian and European officers who concern being frozen out of negotiations between the U.S. and Russia.
Requested about his function within the course of, Rubio stated “proper now there is no such thing as a course of,” whereas including that he expects there’ll observe up conversations to “determine what a course of” would possibly appear like.
“It is a bit untimely,” Rubio continued, saying there hasn’t been any “critical dialog.”
The secretary of state famous that if “actual negotiations” start, Ukraine will “need to be concerned,” as will European nations, including that “we’re simply not there but.”
