Ukrainian FM and US Secretary of State discuss Ukraine war on sidelines of G7 in France
Photo: Andrii Sybiha announces meeting with Marco Rubio (x.com/andrii_sybiha)
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The talks focused on Russia’s war against Ukraine and the current situation in the Middle East, Sybiha states in a post on X.
The meeting between Sybiha and Rubio took place on the sidelines of a G7 ministerial meeting in France.
“The US role in advancing peace efforts remains critical. Ukraine’s proposals are realistic and doable. Pressure on Russia is key to make Moscow end the war,” the minister said.
He added that he also discussed developments in the Middle East with Rubio, stressing that Ukraine believes the regimes in Moscow and Tehran are cooperating to prolong the war, and therefore must face consolidated pressure.
“Ukraine’s tangible assistance to the Gulf states in protecting from Iranian terror has demonstrated our role as a security partner and contributor. The issue of countering Russian aggression against Ukraine must remain high on the international agenda.” Sybiha said.
It is worth noting that Rubio has not yet publicly commented on the meeting.
Peace talks
At present, US-mediated negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine are effectively on hold.
Several rounds of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia took place in January and February, but no concrete results were announced.
The only notable outcome was an agreement on a prisoner exchange on February 5 — the first in the past five months.
A follow-up meeting scheduled for early March in Abu Dhabi (UAE) was postponed indefinitely due to the war in Iran.
On March 21–22, bilateral talks between Ukrainian and US delegations were held in Miami without Russia’s participation.
Following the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said no real progress had been achieved in the peace process due to Russia’s unwillingness to end the war.
The Kremlin, for its part, issued its own statement regarding the talks between the US and Ukraine.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb also believes negotiations to end the war have reached a deadlock.
At the same time, he hopes US President Donald Trump will maintain focus on the conflict and not abandon his promise to end the war.
According to Stubb, Trump is currently fully absorbed by the situation in Iran, which is diverting his attention from Ukraine.
