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Marco Rubio says US will have contact with Russia over Ukraine: ‘If they say no…’
The United States agreed on Tuesday to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the United States will have contact with Russia on Wednesday about the agreement reached with Ukraine on a 30-day ceasefire and steps toward ending the war.
"We all eagerly await the Russian response and urge them strongly to consider ending all hostilities," Reuters quoted Rubio as saying during a stop in Ireland after US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia.
“If they say no, then obviously we'll have to examine everything and sort of figure out where we stand in the world and what their true intentions are. I think it'll be if they say no, it'll tell us a lot about what their goals are and what their mindset is,” he added.'
US to resume military aid to Ukraine
The United States agreed to to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, Reuters quoted the joint statement by the two countries.
After more than eight hours of talks with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Marco Rubio said the US would now take the offer to Russia, and the ball is in Moscow's court.
"Our hope is that the Russians will answer 'yes' as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations," Rubio told reporters, referring to US President Donald Trump.
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Rubio said Washington wanted a full agreement with both Russia and Ukraine "as soon as possible."
"Every day that goes by, this war continues, people die, people are bombed, people are hurt on both sides of this conflict," he said.
How Moscow would respond was far from certain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already said he is open to discussing a peace deal, but he and his diplomats have repeatedly stated they are against a ceasefire and would seek a deal that safeguards Russia's long-term security.
Putin told his Security Council on January 20 that there "should not be a short truce, not some kind of respite for regrouping forces and rearmament to subsequently continue the conflict, but a long-term peace."
He has also ruled out territorial concessions and said Ukraine must withdraw fully from four Ukrainian regions claimed and partly controlled by Russia.
