We have better understanding of Russian position - Rubio
The United States hopes a deal between Russia and Ukraine can be reached this week, though that may not be a final deadline, stated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his interview with The Free Press.
"I don’t know about by the end of the week. I’m hopeful that we can get to something quickly. And I remain hopeful that we can get something done because this is a terrible war and it needs to end, because it has no military solution," Rubio said.
According to him, neither Russia nor Ukraine will be able to fully achieve their military objectives: "Russia’s not just going to roll over Ukraine and take the whole country. And Ukraine’s not going to push them all the way back to where they were before 2014".
He noted that the US has a better understanding of Russia’s position following direct talks: "What I would say we’re involved in is understanding what the Russian position is. We have a better understanding of that now because we’ve actually spoken to them after three years of not speaking to them."
Rubio believes it's also essential to clarify Ukraine’s position. However, he acknowledged that the sides might still be too far apart: "Then, we may have to conclude that they’re so far apart that peace is impossible at this time."
He added that the US is making every effort to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, stressing that the administration has "put a lot of time and energy at the highest levels of our government." According to him, these efforts will continue as long as there is a realistic path forward.
"If at some point we determine that we’re just too far apart and not enough movement is happening, we may need to move on to other priorities because there are a lot of important things happening in the world," the Secretary of State said.
He also reminded that the US didn’t start this war, but is trying to help end it, though that ultimately depends on both Russia and Ukraine.
"Hopefully, we can be successful, but ultimately it’s not up to us. It’s up to Russia, and it’s up to Ukraine. They have to make the decision that they’re willing to move closer to one another, and we need to start to see progress," he added.
Talks in London
On Wednesday, April 23, negotiations were scheduled to take place in London between delegations from Ukraine, the UK, the US, France, and Germany to discuss the possibility of a comprehensive ceasefire.
A day before the meeting, several Western media outlets reported that the US intended to present its own peace plan, which reportedly conflicted with Ukraine’s position, as it included recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. In response, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly stated that Ukraine would not recognize any occupied territories as Russian.
Soon after, it became known that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his trip to London. The reason, sources said, was Zelenskyy’s refusal to accept Washington’s key proposal - recognizing Crimea as Russian territory.
Later, a source from RBC-Ukraine said the Ukrainian delegation in London was ready for all formats and all discussions.
Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has already revealed the first details of the talks in London. More on this can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
