Security guarantees for Ukraine must also be acceptable to Russia, Rubio says

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that any post-war security guarantees for Ukraine would need to be acceptable to Russia, stressing that such arrangements would be essential to reaching a negotiated settlement to end the war.

"I don't think we've settled on a final concrete plan on that, what it looked like," Rubio told reporters on Nov. 9 when asked whether Washington was considering NATO-style security guarantees for Ukraine.

"I think concepts have been discussed about what security guarantees could look like post-conflict. And the reason why that topic remains in the headlines is because I think it'll be key to ultimately being able to end the war... is an understanding that Ukraine will feel secure after the war," he said.

"And obviously, it has to be something that Russia agrees to as well in order for it to work," Rubio added.

The secretary of state reiterated that security guarantees would be critical for Kyiv to accept a potential peace agreement.

Asked whether the United States could formalize such guarantees through a treaty, Rubio did not rule out the possibility.

"I mean, potentially, but I don't know if that's, we've discussed it at that level of detail yet," he said, pointing to the difficulties of securing Senate approval for treaties.

The remarks come ahead of U.S.-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for Nov. 10–11. The Kremlin has said it will send senior diplomats and military officials to the negotiations.

Europe will be also represented by officials from leading national governments, NATO, and the EU at the negotiations on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, a senior EU diplomat confirmed to the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 9.

Rubio also acknowledged the challenges facing the talks, saying Washington could facilitate discussions but could not guarantee an agreement.

"The United States is not a combatant in that war," he said. "It's the Russians that are fighting that war, and it's Ukraine that was invaded and is being attacked and being fought against."

"So all we can do is serve as a facilitator of the talks and do what we can from the capacity that we have to inject ideas into those discussions in the hopes of arriving at a solution that's diplomatic in nature."

He added that the United States would continue its diplomatic efforts despite the lack of a breakthrough.