Rubio Says Ukraine Must Cede Land
US State Secretary Marco Rubio has stated that Ukraine will need to abandon its territorial claims as a condition for any peace agreement with Moscow. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Moscow has long maintained that any prospective peace agreement must acknowledge the “realities on the ground.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that Ukraine may need to abandon its aim of reclaiming lost territories in order to advance peace talks with Russia.
Rubio made these statements on Monday, just before a meeting between US and Ukrainian delegations scheduled in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Several US officials, who chose to remain anonymous, earlier conveyed Washington's expectations and cautioned Kiev against pursuing maximalist territorial ambitions.
“Obviously, it’ll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014,” Rubio said, according to The New York Times.
“The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, just as the Russians are going to have to do difficult things to end this conflict – or at least pause it in some way, shape, or form,” he continued. “I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there’s no military solution to this situation.”
Following a Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, while two eastern regions declared independence, rejecting the new government. As the conflict intensified in 2022, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, held referendums to join Russia. Moscow now considers these areas part of its territory.
Kiev asserts sovereignty over all former Ukrainian lands, claiming that the votes were “a sham” and not legitimate expressions of self-determination by disenfranchised citizens. Conversely, Moscow contends that the status of these regions is non-negotiable.
On Sunday, The Financial Times reported that in Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian officials intend to propose a partial ceasefire with Moscow, targeting long-range drone and missile strikes as well as combat operations in the Black Sea. This proposal is reportedly aimed at convincing Washington to lift its freeze on intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries.
However, Russia has consistently stated that it will not accept a temporary ceasefire, emphasizing that the conflict must be settled through legally binding agreements that address its fundamental issues.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that Ukraine may need to abandon its aim of reclaiming lost territories in order to advance peace talks with Russia.
Rubio made these statements on Monday, just before a meeting between US and Ukrainian delegations scheduled in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Several US officials, who chose to remain anonymous, earlier conveyed Washington's expectations and cautioned Kiev against pursuing maximalist territorial ambitions.
“Obviously, it’ll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014,” Rubio said, according to The New York Times.
“The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, just as the Russians are going to have to do difficult things to end this conflict – or at least pause it in some way, shape, or form,” he continued. “I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there’s no military solution to this situation.”
Following a Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, while two eastern regions declared independence, rejecting the new government. As the conflict intensified in 2022, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, held referendums to join Russia. Moscow now considers these areas part of its territory.
Kiev asserts sovereignty over all former Ukrainian lands, claiming that the votes were “a sham” and not legitimate expressions of self-determination by disenfranchised citizens. Conversely, Moscow contends that the status of these regions is non-negotiable.
On Sunday, The Financial Times reported that in Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian officials intend to propose a partial ceasefire with Moscow, targeting long-range drone and missile strikes as well as combat operations in the Black Sea. This proposal is reportedly aimed at convincing Washington to lift its freeze on intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries.
However, Russia has consistently stated that it will not accept a temporary ceasefire, emphasizing that the conflict must be settled through legally binding agreements that address its fundamental issues.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
