Now is perfect time for Ukraine-Russia peace push, says Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (photo: Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes now is the ideal time for Russia and Ukraine to end the war, he said in an interview with Fox News.
According to Rubio, the United States is the only country in the world that can bridge the gap between the two sides, and it is working to do so.
"Ultimately, it is gonna be up to them. If they decide they don't want to end the war, the war will continue. But we're going to try to bring it to an end," he said.
The US Secretary of State noted that the United States cannot "continue to fund Ukraine in unlimited amounts," no matter how long the war lasts.
On the other hand, Rubio said it is unrealistic for Russia to continue the war for another 4–5 years.
"What people forget is that at some point in this war, Russia controlled substantially more territory in Ukraine than it does now. The Ukrainians, if you look at what the map looked like in March, or April after the invasion, or May, three months after the invasion, and what it looks like now, the Ukrainians have pushed the Russians way back from where they were, so they have already achieved tremendous things because of their bravery, their courage, and how hard they have fought," Rubio said.
However, he stated that the war has now turned into a war of attrition.
"Sadly, the Russians have shown the willingness to sacrifice seven thousand soldiers per week in an effort to achieve their objectives," he said.
Therefore, the United States is now trying to understand how the war can be ended in a way that protects Ukraine's future and is acceptable to both sides.
Putin–Witkoff talks
On December 2, talks took place in the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff. They discussed the US peace plan for Ukraine.
According to Putin's adviser Yuri Ushakov, the discussion focused on the essence of US President Donald Trump's plan rather than specific proposals.
He said no compromises have been reached so far, and a meeting between the leaders of Russia and the United States is not planned at this stage.
When asked how the prospects for peace changed after the talks, Ushakov shrugged and said, "They certainly haven't receded."
