During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the Trump administration is at a critical juncture regarding its involvement in brokering a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Rubio emphasized that the coming week will be decisive in determining whether the U.S. continues its efforts or shifts its focus to other pressing global issues.
“I think this is going to be a very critical week,” Rubio said. “This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we’ll want to continue to be involved in, or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases.”
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Rubio acknowledged both optimism and realism, saying, “We’re close, but we’re not close enough.” He stressed the unique position of the United States in facilitating dialogue. “There is no other country. There is no other institution or organization on the earth that can bring these two sides together. No one else is talking to both sides but us, and no one else in the world can make something like this happen.”
When pressed about the lack of sanctions against Russia, given the frustrations voiced, Rubio explained, “Well, because I think we’re still hoping to see that this effort works out in diplomacy and that we can bring these two sides closer together. I mean, 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.”
He highlighted the delicate balance the administration is attempting to strike. “We want to make sure that we work it all the way through, that we don’t walk away from something that can actually work, or that can actually lead to peace. But we also don’t want to continue to spend time on something that’s not going to get us there. So, throughout this process, it’s about determining do both sides really want peace, and how close are they or how far apart they are after 90 days of effort here?”
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Rubio reiterated that the key to ending the conflict lies with President Trump. “The only one who can bring these two sides together to end this war is our president, President Trump, and we’re doing everything we can to see if we can get that done here over the next few days.”
The Secretary’s comments come amidst reports of a potential mineral resources agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine, seen by some as a lever in the peace negotiations.
However, significant hurdles remain, with Russia demanding that Ukraine cease troop recruitment and Western military aid, while Ukraine remains steadfast in its resistance.
The coming week will be crucial in determining the fate of these negotiations and the future of U.S. involvement in the region.
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