Rubio states that ‘the only way’ to halt Russia’s conflict is through Ukrainian concessions
The U.S. plans to leverage a critical meeting in Saudi Arabia to gauge the concessions Ukraine is prepared to make, the secretary stated.
TroibNews 
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Monday that for any agreement to conclude the war, Ukraine must cede some territory seized by Russia since 2014. He made these remarks while en route to Saudi Arabia for peace discussions.
Rubio emphasized that concessions are "the only way" to resolve the ongoing full-scale invasion initiated by Russia in February 2022, which has resulted in nearly a million casualties on both sides, marking the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
“They’ve [Ukrainians] suffered greatly and their people have suffered greatly, and it’s hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions,” he told reporters. “But that’s the only way this is going to end to prevent more suffering.”
The critical talks in Saudi Arabia represent the first engagement between high-ranking U.S. officials and Ukraine's leadership following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s confrontation with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in a White House press event.
Rubio clarified that he would “not going to pre-negotiate anything,” indicating that the U.S. aims to gauge what Kyiv might be “willing to do in order to achieve peace” and bring an end to the conflict.
“It may be incompatible with what the Russians are willing to do,” he noted. “That’s what we need to find out."
Ukraine has consistently ruled out a ceasefire that requires relinquishing territory occupied by Russia, such as the Crimea, which was annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014. The Ukrainian government is advocating for a “just peace” that includes reparations from the Kremlin for the ongoing war.
Zelenskyy is in Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but will not participate in discussions with Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The Ukrainian delegation will include Zelenskyy's chief aide Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have been strained since Zelenskyy’s televised confrontation with Trump and Vance. Following that incident, Trump suspended all U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, aiming to pressure the country into negotiations with Russia.
Rubio suggested that aid could potentially resume based on the outcomes of the forthcoming talks, stating that the U.S. “could have good news to announce on that front.”
“All of that came about because we felt that they were not committed to any sort of peace process or not interested in negotiations,” he remarked. “If that changes, then obviously our posture can change.”
Rubio also addressed his recent exchange with the Polish foreign minister on X regarding the role of tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine. Warsaw indicated it might "look for other suppliers" if Musk were to discontinue this critical service.
In responding to the situation, Rubio had previously suggested that Poland should express gratitude for U.S. assistance to Ukraine, but he also acknowledged Poland's status as “a great NATO ally.”
“They’re a great example for the rest of Europe. I was simply responding to a post by the foreign minister which is just inaccurate,” Rubio stated.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
Rubio emphasized that concessions are "the only way" to resolve the ongoing full-scale invasion initiated by Russia in February 2022, which has resulted in nearly a million casualties on both sides, marking the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
“They’ve [Ukrainians] suffered greatly and their people have suffered greatly, and it’s hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions,” he told reporters. “But that’s the only way this is going to end to prevent more suffering.”
The critical talks in Saudi Arabia represent the first engagement between high-ranking U.S. officials and Ukraine's leadership following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s confrontation with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in a White House press event.
Rubio clarified that he would “not going to pre-negotiate anything,” indicating that the U.S. aims to gauge what Kyiv might be “willing to do in order to achieve peace” and bring an end to the conflict.
“It may be incompatible with what the Russians are willing to do,” he noted. “That’s what we need to find out."
Ukraine has consistently ruled out a ceasefire that requires relinquishing territory occupied by Russia, such as the Crimea, which was annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014. The Ukrainian government is advocating for a “just peace” that includes reparations from the Kremlin for the ongoing war.
Zelenskyy is in Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but will not participate in discussions with Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The Ukrainian delegation will include Zelenskyy's chief aide Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have been strained since Zelenskyy’s televised confrontation with Trump and Vance. Following that incident, Trump suspended all U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, aiming to pressure the country into negotiations with Russia.
Rubio suggested that aid could potentially resume based on the outcomes of the forthcoming talks, stating that the U.S. “could have good news to announce on that front.”
“All of that came about because we felt that they were not committed to any sort of peace process or not interested in negotiations,” he remarked. “If that changes, then obviously our posture can change.”
Rubio also addressed his recent exchange with the Polish foreign minister on X regarding the role of tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine. Warsaw indicated it might "look for other suppliers" if Musk were to discontinue this critical service.
In responding to the situation, Rubio had previously suggested that Poland should express gratitude for U.S. assistance to Ukraine, but he also acknowledged Poland's status as “a great NATO ally.”
“They’re a great example for the rest of Europe. I was simply responding to a post by the foreign minister which is just inaccurate,” Rubio stated.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
