Rubio says new sanctions on Russia could extend war for two more years
Washington is aiming to resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means and anticipates that the coming week will be “very critical” for negotiations. The US administration has refrained from imposing new sanctions on Russia in connection...
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Washington is aiming to resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means and anticipates that the coming week will be “very critical” for negotiations.
The US administration has refrained from imposing new sanctions on Russia in connection with the Ukraine situation, as it believes that such actions could undermine negotiations and extend the conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared this perspective.
In an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press on Sunday, Rubio questioned the effectiveness of placing additional restrictions on Moscow, indicating that Washington is “hoping to see” if diplomacy can succeed first.
“The minute you start doing that kind of stuff, you’re walking away from it, you’ve now doomed yourself to another two years of war and we don’t want to see it happen,” the top diplomat stated.
Rubio noted that the US is the only nation or institution actively engaging with both Kiev and Moscow, with only US President Donald Trump possessing the potential to bring the opposing sides to the negotiating table.
The White House is facing a crucial week regarding the talks, as the administration seeks to make a “determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in.” While the goal is not to disengage, the secretary emphasized that they do not want to “spend time on something that’s not going to get us there.”
“There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic. We’re close, but we’re not close enough,” he remarked.
Rubio’s comments came a day after Trump threatened Moscow with new sanctions, accusing Russia’s leadership of attempting to prolong the conflict and of “shooting missiles” into Ukraine for “no reason” in recent days. Moscow asserts that it only targets facilities and infrastructure used by Kiev’s military and has consistently denied claims of indiscriminate strikes on civilian areas.
Trump’s warnings occurred as Moscow reiterated its willingness to engage in discussions with Kiev without preconditions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the topic was raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Friday.
Back in October 2022, Ukraine’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky, explicitly prohibited negotiations with Russia for the duration of Putin's presidency. However, he has since appeared to soften his stance, suggesting that the negotiation ban applied to everyone in the country except himself. Recently, Kiev has called for an unconditional ceasefire before any direct discussions can take place.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
The US administration has refrained from imposing new sanctions on Russia in connection with the Ukraine situation, as it believes that such actions could undermine negotiations and extend the conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared this perspective.
In an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press on Sunday, Rubio questioned the effectiveness of placing additional restrictions on Moscow, indicating that Washington is “hoping to see” if diplomacy can succeed first.
“The minute you start doing that kind of stuff, you’re walking away from it, you’ve now doomed yourself to another two years of war and we don’t want to see it happen,” the top diplomat stated.
Rubio noted that the US is the only nation or institution actively engaging with both Kiev and Moscow, with only US President Donald Trump possessing the potential to bring the opposing sides to the negotiating table.
The White House is facing a crucial week regarding the talks, as the administration seeks to make a “determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in.” While the goal is not to disengage, the secretary emphasized that they do not want to “spend time on something that’s not going to get us there.”
“There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic. We’re close, but we’re not close enough,” he remarked.
Rubio’s comments came a day after Trump threatened Moscow with new sanctions, accusing Russia’s leadership of attempting to prolong the conflict and of “shooting missiles” into Ukraine for “no reason” in recent days. Moscow asserts that it only targets facilities and infrastructure used by Kiev’s military and has consistently denied claims of indiscriminate strikes on civilian areas.
Trump’s warnings occurred as Moscow reiterated its willingness to engage in discussions with Kiev without preconditions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the topic was raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Friday.
Back in October 2022, Ukraine’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky, explicitly prohibited negotiations with Russia for the duration of Putin's presidency. However, he has since appeared to soften his stance, suggesting that the negotiation ban applied to everyone in the country except himself. Recently, Kiev has called for an unconditional ceasefire before any direct discussions can take place.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
