Rubio details plans A and B for ending Russia-Ukraine war

"Plan A is to get the shooting to stop so that we can move to Plan B, phase two, which has everybody at a table, maybe not- maybe with some shuttle diplomacy, to figure out a way to permanently end this war in a way that's enduring and it respects everybody's needs and so forth. No one is saying that that second part is easy, but we can't get even to that second part until we get past the first part," Rubio said.

He noted that no one has said the second part will be easy. However, it will not be possible to proceed with it until the first part is completed. The Secretary of State emphasized that it is difficult to negotiate a strong end to the war while the sides are still shooting at each other. That is why US President Donald Trump is pushing for a ceasefire.

"That's what we're working on, assuming we can get that done. That won't be easy in and of itself. We move to the second phase, which is negotiating something more enduring and permanent. That will be hard. It will involve a lot of hard work and concessions from both sides, but it has to happen. This war cannot continue. The president has been clear about that, and he's doing everything he can to bring it to an end," he stated.

The host also reminded Rubio of his statement about the meeting between Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting was intended to answer whether the sides are moving toward a ceasefire or if Russia is using a delay tactic. The journalist also recalled yesterday's conversation between the Secretary of State and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. When asked whether Russia is stalling and what he thought about Witkoff's meeting, he responded as follows:

"I think that was a promising meeting. As I've said repeatedly, we're not going to negotiate this in the public. Hopefully, we'll have something to announce fairly soon. I can't guarantee that, but I certainly think the meeting was promising, and the exchange was promising," the Secretary of State said.

He stated that he did not form a negative opinion from Witkoff's meeting with Putin but also acknowledged the difficulties, as the war in Ukraine has many facets.

"There are some challenges. This is a complex, three-year war that's been ongoing along a very long military front, with a lot of complexity to it. So no one's claiming that it's easy," Rubio added.

Notably, The Independent has learned the red lines Ukraine has for any peace agreement with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In particular, territorial issues are key. For more details, read RBC-Ukraine's report.