US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday expressed optimism ahead of talks between the US and Ukraine on ending the war started by Russia more than three years ago.
Rubio said he was feeling “optimistic” ahead of talks planned for Tuesday in the coastal Saudi city of Jeddah on the Red Sea.
“I feel optimistic about it,” Rubio told pool reporters while enroute to Jeddah. “I mean, we wouldn’t [be] coming if we weren’t.”
The decisive factor in the meeting would be to see to what extent the Ukrainians were prepared “to do difficult things,” just as the Russians would have to, to end the war.
Rubio also hinted that Ukraine could again rely on more US aid if the talks went well. They were already receiving intelligence for defensive purposes again.
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The US diplomat did not rule out an informal meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is also visiting Saudi Arabia, but has said he is not taking part in Rubio’s talks.
“Potentially,” he said when asked whether an unofficial meeting with Zelensky was on the table. That was not the plan, but it was “possible.”
Rubio said that both Moscow and Kiev “need to come to an understanding that there is no military solution to this situation.”
The Russians could not conquer the whole of Ukraine and it would be very difficult for Ukraine to push the Russians back to where they were in 2014.
“So the only solution to this war is diplomacy and getting them to a table where that’s possible,” Rubio said. “I think the French and the British have been very supportive along the way over the last week as well and very helpful, so we’re hopeful we’ll have good meetings tomorrow.”