Rubio says US ready to help end Ukraine war, but no quick deal
8 reported
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the Trump administration is ready to help end the war in Ukraine, which he called a “senseless war,” but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal. Speaking in Manila on the sidelines of an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, Rubio said diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas. He held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and said Moscow and Kyiv should have the incentive to end a “very bloody war” that has devastated both sides. Rubio noted that past U.S.-mediated talks have been “unsuccessful or at least unfruitful” but insisted President Donald Trump is committed to the work if conditions change. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov emphasized to Rubio “the unacceptability of further arming” Ukraine and accused European countries of pursuing Russia’s “strategic defeat.” Rubio said there has been no change to Washington’s military support for Ukraine, with weapons purchased by NATO allies and transferred to the country.
What’s reported
Rubio said the Trump administration is ready to help end the war in Ukraine but acknowledged no quick path to a deal.
Rubio held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila on the sidelines of an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting.
Rubio called past U.S.-mediated talks “unsuccessful or at least unfruitful” but said Trump is committed if conditions change.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov emphasized “the unacceptability of further arming” Ukraine and accused European countries of pursuing Russia’s “strategic defeat.”
Lavrov reiterated Russia’s readiness for “a political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict” and commitment to agreements from a Putin-Trump summit in Alaska last year.
Rubio said there has been no change to Washington’s military support for Ukraine, with weapons purchased by NATO allies and transferred to the country.
Rubio also met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed a new altercation between Chinese and Filipino forces in the South China Sea, which he called “escalatory.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong criticized China’s recent test-launch of a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine, calling it “provocative and destabilizing.”
Key figures
Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister
Donald Trump, U.S. President
Vladimir Putin, Russian President
Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister
Penny Wong, Australian Foreign Minister
Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister
Xi Jinping, Chinese leader
Sources: abcnews.com
