"The only way is to test them (Russia), to basically engage them and say, okay, are you serious about ending the war, and if so, what are your demands. Are your public demands and your private demands different?" U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. "It may turn out that they don’t want to end the war."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured a group of European colleagues that sanctions would not be lifted earlier. The phone call took place on Feb. 18.
European foreign ministers and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, Kallas said on X on Feb. 18.
As U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war in Ukraine kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, appears to have been partially sidelined from the negotiations. Kellogg will focus on talks with Ukraine and Europe,
The alleged plan, which reportedly includes a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine, and a final peace agreement, was revealed by Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on X.
The delegation, led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, is set to begin negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed that Zelensky would have a say in the process and mentioned the possibility of allowing European nations to purchase U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine.
"Ukraine will have to be involved, because they're the one that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on Putin and Russia as well," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
"Both sides expressed a mutual willingness to engage on key international issues, including the situation in Ukraine," the readout from the Russian Foreign Ministry read. "Lavrov and Rubio reaffirmed their readiness to work together to restore a mutually respectful interstate dialogue in line with the tone set by the presidents."
U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 14.
"I continue to support foreign aid. But foreign aid is not charity. It exists for the purpose of advancing the national interest of the United States," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Trump has named Rubio acting USAID administrator "as an interim step toward gaining control and better understanding over the agency's activity," the state department said in a press release.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. has been "fund(ing) a stalemate" that "set (Ukraine) back a 100 years" and called for a swift resolution.
Those programs not covered by the waiver include "abortions, family planning conferences… transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance."
EU Chief Diplomat Kaja Kallas spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Jan. 28 in their first official phone conversation since the Trump administration took office.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio identified the U.S. citizen as Anastassia Nuhfer, who was detained in early December 2024.
Key developments on Jan. 25-26: * Ukraine strikes drone storage facility in Russia's Oryol Oblast and destroys 200 Shaheds, General Staff reports * Rubio halts most foreign aid, including Ukraine assistance, Politico reports * Russia launched over 1,250 bombs, 750 drones at Ukraine during Trump's first week in office * Ukrainian troops avoid
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the largest official aid agencies in the world, has been told to stop projects in Ukraine following a 90-day foreign aid freeze imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian media Suspilne reported, citing sources in the agency.
Senior diplomats in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs requested a full waiver to exclude U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) operations in Ukraine from a 90-day foreign aid freeze, the Financial Times reports.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Jan. 24 new guidance that halts spending on most foreign aid grants for 90 days. This directive, which took State Department officials by surprise, appears to include funding for military assistance to Ukraine, according to Politico.
"We are going to engage in making it end in a way that is sustainable, meaning we don't just want the conflict to end and then restart in two, three, or four years down the road," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the CBS Mornings program.
As state secretary, Marco Rubio will oversee the implementation of the president's foreign policy, including that relating to Russia's full-scale war — which wasn't directly referred to during Donald Trump's inauguration speech.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will begin working on a ceasefire in Ukraine "almost immediately," new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists on Jan. 20.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Marco Rubio as the next secretary of state by a rare bipartisan consensus on Jan. 20.
Key developments on Jan. 15: * Ukraine's military now totals 880,000 soldiers, facing 600,000 Russian troops, Zelensky says * Russia launches mass missile attack against Ukraine * Ukraine, Russia have to make concessions to end war, Rubio says * Ukraine brings back 25 people from Russian captivity, including Azovstal defenders * Lithuania would
"It is important for everyone to be realistic: There will have to be concessions — made by the Russian Federation, but also by the Ukrainians," said Marco Rubio, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 13 officially confirmed Republican Senator Marco Rubio as his nominee for the secretary of state, the U.S.'s top diplomacy job.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's first team picks have both positive and negative implications for Ukraine, with Kyiv left guessing what kind of policy they will pursue, according to Ukrainian and Western analysts. Some appointments seem to lean in Kyiv’s favor, while others hint at a more Moscow-friendly stance.
Ukrainians awoke a week after Donald Trump's election victory to hear that the president-elect had tapped Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary — one of the most eyebrow-raising appointments announced so far by the incoming administration of Kyiv’s top Western ally. Some in the U.S. on
Republican Senator Marco Rubio is likely to be the next U.S. secretary of state, according to reports on Nov. 12 that mark the latest insight into how President-elect Donald Trump's White House will approach Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump, leader of the Republican party who was elected president on
If appointed, Marco Rubio will replace Antony Blinken.
"That doesn't mean we celebrate what Vladimir Putin did or are excited about it, but I think there has to be some common sense here. We are funding a stalemate that's costing lives... and Ukraine is going to take 100 years to rebuild with everything they're facing," Rubio said.
