Territorial issues to be key - Rubio on ending war in Ukraine

During the broadcast, Rubio was asked what exactly "ending the war" means for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. He responded:

"Without getting into the details of what was discussed, because I don’t want to imperil the progress made today, and I don’t wanna exaggerate either, I think we all understand a couple of things. At some point, a ceasefire has to be part of the process, because it’s hard to negotiate the details of a final peace agreement while you’re shooting at each other," Rubio said.

He emphasized that, in his view, progress needs to be made on enough parameters concerning how the war will end. This would then allow the parties to enter a temporary ceasefire phase.

"And you use that time to finalize how to end the war. But I do think you gotta come a long way to go in understanding how you run the war," the Secretary of State added.

Rubio also stressed that territorial issues will be a key element in any resolution of the war, including in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He recalled that Russia seized Crimea and several other territories in 2014, where it had made gains. However, after any agreement is reached, concessions will be required from both sides. At the same time, Rubio acknowledged that such concessions will be difficult and will still need to be "sold" to the public.

"Anytime you`re gonna make a deal, there will need to be concessions, concessions from the Russians, and of course, concessions from the Ukrainians as well. When you have a war and people have died. For example, on the Ukrainian side, they’ve paid an enormous price in this war. The same with the Russians. But Ukrainians have paid a very big price in this war. You know, these concessions are not easy, you have to sell them to the public in your country," Rubio concluded.

Background

On August 6, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to hold talks with Russian leadership, including a meeting with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. The key topic was the war in Ukraine.

It was later reported that both US President Donald Trump and Putin were open to meeting. Trump expressed readiness to do so as early as next week, provided it could lead to ending the war.

The meeting location has not yet been determined. Trump himself confirmed that the venue is still undecided.

Additionally, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during the Fox News broadcast that he could not name a specific timeline for a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, he noted that Washington now has a better understanding of Russia’s conditions.