Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated Thursday that a meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is the “only way” to move forward in talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
His comments came after Putin assigned lower-level officials to discussions, coinciding with the downgraded meeting of Turkish, Russian, and Ukrainian officials.
Rubio, also serving as Trump’s national security adviser, expressed a lack of optimism regarding direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, opting instead to meet separately with the senior Ukrainian delegation.
Initially, Putin suggested a face-to-face meeting in Turkey but later dismissed Trump’s call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to halt the conflict.
Rubio noted that Trump feels a sense of urgency to end the war, reflecting increasing frustration with Putin’s lack of commitment to achieving peace.
“The only way to make real progress is if President Trump and Putin meet,” Rubio remarked.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Putin to participate in discussions in Turkey. While Putin did not formally decline the offer, he showed no intention of traveling there.
Trump indicated he wasn’t surprised by Putin’s absence during a recent visit to the region, saying, “I actually thought, ‘If I’m not going, why would he go?'” He further mentioned he would have gone to the meeting, but since he wasn’t attending, he doubted Putin would show up either.
During his diplomatic visit to Turkey, Rubio mentioned that Trump remains open to the possibility of meeting with Putin.
