EU sanctions may feature in Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks - Rubio
Photo: Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State(Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes that any talks with Russia regarding a ceasefire with Ukraine will address the European Union sanctions imposed on the aggressor country. The discussions may also cover Russia's frozen assets, according to the US Department of State.
In response to media questions in Washington regarding the White House's position on European partners' involvement in the peace process, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that Kyiv has strengthened the need for Europeans. This was stated in a joint declaration following the negotiations between Ukraine and U.S. delegations in Jeddah on March 11.
"Europeans have issued a series of sanctions against the Russian Federation, and I would imagine that in any negotiation – if we get there, hopefully – with the Russians that they will raise these European – the European sanctions that have been imposed upon them," Rubio said.
He added that the issue of European sanctions "is going to be on the table" in future negotiations with Russia.
"Not to mention what happens with the frozen assets and the like.," he continued.
Rubio also emphasized that it’s self-evident that for there to be a peace in Ukraine, there is going to have to be some decision by the Europeans about what they are going to do with these sanctions and so forth.
"And so that’s why I think they have to be necessarily involved in this regard," the US official stated.
Furthermore, Rubio mentioned that "there are also all sorts of security promises that European countries have made to Ukraine, that that will also be, I imagine, a part of this conversation as we move forward."
Earlier, Rubio responded to questions about whether sanctions against Russia would remain in place. According to him, the US has not lifted any sanctions imposed on Russia in previous years, and nothing has been done to remove them, they remain in effect.
It is also noteworthy that on March 12, Le Figaro reported that the French National Assembly would consider a resolution calling for the arrest of frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine.
The issue of Russian assets has become especially pertinent, as calls for their confiscation have increased in Europe. Specifically, the resolution calls on the EU to immediately use the frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
Additionally, it is important to remember that on March 11, during a meeting in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Ukrainian and US delegations held talks, reaching several agreements: Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, while Washington agreed to resume military support and intelligence-sharing.
It remains to be seen how Russia will react to the proposal for a ceasefire. Recently, US President Donald Trump announced that his delegation is heading to Russia to discuss the 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.
