On Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the meeting between US President Trump and Russian President Putin last Friday did not bring the two countries closer to a ceasefire agreement, but did make some progress in getting the warring parties to make concessions to facilitate further negotiations.
In an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation” program on Sunday, Rubio expressed his views on resolving the Ukraine conflict, saying, “Stopping the war requires both sides to make concessions. Both sides should expect to gain something from it, which is a very difficult thing to achieve.”
“It is very difficult for both sides to make concessions. Ukraine feels hurt because they have been invaded, and Russia believes they have the upper hand on the battlefield. Frankly, it seems that they do not care how many Russian soldiers lose their lives in this operation,” he said.
When asked if the US had accepted all the conditions proposed by Putin at the negotiation table, Rubio replied, “The US cannot accept or reject any conditions because ultimately it is up to Ukraine to decide. The parties Russia needs to reach a peace agreement with are Ukraine, and Ukraine needs to reach an agreement with Russia.” However, Rubio noted that the US has indeed made efforts in mediation.
Regarding Trump’s statement about reaching some “agreements” with Putin, Rubio said, “These conditions must be decided by Ukraine.”
“We will strive to do certain things, such as facilitating a summit. We must make sufficient progress in facilitating both sides for talks to be able to sit down, allowing President Zelensky and President Putin to reach a final agreement to end this war on the same occasion – something President Zelensky has been requesting,” Rubio added.
Rubio stated that the US will engage in more in-depth discussions with European allies and Ukrainian representatives at a meeting scheduled for Monday, saying, “We will discuss all these issues. Ultimately, we need to find areas where progress is being made and work to begin narrowing the differences between the parties.”
Rubio also emphasized that in any negotiation, both sides must make concessions. He said, “Without concessions, if one party gets everything they want, it is called surrender, ending the war through surrender. We are not on the brink of achieving that state, as neither side is close to surrendering or nearing surrender.”