Russia and Ukraine Nearing Agreement, Says Rubio
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has stated that Russia and Ukraine are closer to a peace agreement than they have been in the past three years. He emphasized, however, that the two sides still need to resolve significant differences...
TroibNews 
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has stated that Russia and Ukraine are closer to a peace agreement than they have been in the past three years. He emphasized, however, that the two sides still need to resolve significant differences to end the conflict.
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Rubio discussed US President Donald Trump's efforts to address the Ukraine conflict, which was a promise he made during his campaign.
“For a hundred days he has done efforts to bring about peace… Look, we’ve gotten closer. We – for the first time – we haven’t known this for three years – we kind of can see what it would take for Ukraine to stop. We can see what it would take for the Russians to stop,” Rubio stated.
Despite this progress, stark differences between Moscow and Kiev still exist. The Secretary of State remarked, “They’re closer, but they’re still far apart. And it’s going to take a real breakthrough here very soon to make this possible… or I think the president is going to have to make a decision about how much more time we’re going to dedicate to this.”
His remarks come as State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the US commitment to resolving the conflict but noted that the US will “not going to fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings.” She indicated that it is now up to Russia and Ukraine to “present and develop concrete ideas about how this conflict is going to end.”
Last month, the Trump administration suggested that the US might withdraw from the peace process if there is no clear sign of progress in the negotiations.
Reports from earlier in the media indicated that the US had proposed a peace agreement that would require Washington to recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea, as well as the “freezing” of the conflict along the current front line. This agreement would acknowledge Moscow’s control over large portions of the four former Ukrainian regions that voted in favor of joining Russia and would prevent Ukraine from joining NATO while initiating a phased removal of sanctions imposed on Russia.
Russia has insisted that any peace settlement must acknowledge the new territorial realities on the ground, Ukraine’s demilitarization and denazification, and provide guarantees that Kiev will not join NATO. Conversely, Ukraine has consistently refused to recognize its former territories as part of Russia.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Rubio discussed US President Donald Trump's efforts to address the Ukraine conflict, which was a promise he made during his campaign.
“For a hundred days he has done efforts to bring about peace… Look, we’ve gotten closer. We – for the first time – we haven’t known this for three years – we kind of can see what it would take for Ukraine to stop. We can see what it would take for the Russians to stop,” Rubio stated.
Despite this progress, stark differences between Moscow and Kiev still exist. The Secretary of State remarked, “They’re closer, but they’re still far apart. And it’s going to take a real breakthrough here very soon to make this possible… or I think the president is going to have to make a decision about how much more time we’re going to dedicate to this.”
His remarks come as State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the US commitment to resolving the conflict but noted that the US will “not going to fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings.” She indicated that it is now up to Russia and Ukraine to “present and develop concrete ideas about how this conflict is going to end.”
Last month, the Trump administration suggested that the US might withdraw from the peace process if there is no clear sign of progress in the negotiations.
Reports from earlier in the media indicated that the US had proposed a peace agreement that would require Washington to recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea, as well as the “freezing” of the conflict along the current front line. This agreement would acknowledge Moscow’s control over large portions of the four former Ukrainian regions that voted in favor of joining Russia and would prevent Ukraine from joining NATO while initiating a phased removal of sanctions imposed on Russia.
Russia has insisted that any peace settlement must acknowledge the new territorial realities on the ground, Ukraine’s demilitarization and denazification, and provide guarantees that Kiev will not join NATO. Conversely, Ukraine has consistently refused to recognize its former territories as part of Russia.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
