US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Ukraine and Europe would be part of any “real negotiations” to end the war with Russia.
Speaking on February 16, he signalled that US talks with Russia set for February 18 in Saudi Arabia were a chance to see how serious Russian President Vladimir Putin was about peace.
The top US diplomat played down European concerns of being cut out of the initial talks between Russia and the his country. In an interview with CBS, Rubio said a negotiation process had not yet begun in earnest and if talks advanced, the Ukrainians and other Europeans would be brought into the fold.
“President Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin last week, and in it, Vladimir Putin expressed his interest in peace, and the president expressed his desire to see an end to this conflict in a way that was enduring and that protected Ukrainian sovereignty,” Rubio said on CBS‘s Meet the Press programme.
“Now, obviously it has to be followed up by action, so the next few weeks and days will determine whether it’s serious or not. Ultimately, one phone call does not make peace.”
Rubio noted he was due to be in Saudi Arabia anyway due to previously arranged official travel. The composition of the Russian delegation had not yet been finalised, he said.
US President Donald Trump, who held a call with Putin on February12 and said the Russian leader wantes peace, said on February 16 he was confident Putin would not want to try and take control of the entirety of Ukraine.
“That would have caused me a big problem, because you just can’t let that happen. I think he wants to end it,” Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump added that Zelensky would be involved in the conversations to end the conflict.
Rubio and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff rejected concerns that Ukraine and other European leaders would have no place at peace negotiations. That came despite Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, suggesting precisely that at the Munich Security Conference that ended on February 16.
Witkoff noted in an interview on Fox News‘ Sunday Morning Futures that Ukrainian officials had met several US officials in recent days at the conference, while Trump had spoken with Zelensky a few days previously.
Rubio, for his part, said Ukrainians and other Europeans would be included in any meaningful negotiations.
“Ultimately, it will reach a point – if it’s real negotiations, and we’re not there yet – but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved because they’re the ones that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on Putin and Russia as well,” Rubio said.
“We’re just not there yet.”
Asked if he had discussed lifting sanctions on Russia during a February 15 phone call with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, Rubio declined to provide confirmation, saying only that they “did not go into any details”.
After the call, Moscow said the two had discussed the removal of “unilateral barriers” set by the previous US administration in relations with Russia.
Rubio said he did address the “difficult” operating conditions of the US embassy in Moscow with Lavrov.
If there was to be progress in Ukraine peacemaking, both Russia and the US would need properly functioning embassies in the other country, he added.
Europe disdained US Republicans for years, now euro-elites are in a frenzy