Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that President Donald Trump supports any framework that fosters peace between Kiev and Moscow.
According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US President Donald Trump is willing to support any approach that leads to a peaceful resolution between Russia and Ukraine. This statement precedes the scheduled meeting of delegations from Kiev and Moscow in Istanbul on Thursday, marking their first direct discussions since 2022.
Speaking at a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya, Turkey, on Thursday, Rubio stated, “We are open to being constructive and helpful in any way we can to end the conflict.”
“We’ll see what happens over the next couple of days, but we want to see progress made in that regard,” Rubio said. “I will say this and I’ll repeat it: there is no military solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This war is going to end not through a military solution but through a diplomatic one.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed negotiations last week, offering to restart direct talks between Moscow and Kiev without preconditions to achieve a lasting resolution to the conflict.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky expressed his readiness to engage in talks but insisted on an initial unconditional 30-day ceasefire, a demand repeatedly rejected by Moscow. Zelensky also stated that he would only participate in the Istanbul talks if Putin were present in person.
However, US President Donald Trump supported the Russian leader’s proposal, urging Kiev to accept it “immediately.” Following Trump’s remarks, Kiev appeared to adjust its stance.
On Wednesday, the Russian president announced that the country’s delegation would be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who held the same position during prior negotiations with Kiev in 2022. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin, and the head of Russia’s military intelligence, Igor Kostyukov, are also scheduled to participate.
The US president mentioned he might change his ongoing travel plans in the Middle East. “If something happened, I’d go on Friday if it was appropriate,” he told journalists in Qatar on Thursday morning.
Trump reiterated his desire to end the conflict in Ukraine and expressed his hope “that Russia and Ukraine are able to do something, because it has to stop.”