US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with the American news channel CBS that Ukraine and Europe will be included in future talks to end the Russian-Ukrainian war. This is reported by Ukrinform, quoted by BTA.
Rubio refuted the concerns of European leaders that they may be excluded from the upcoming discussions between Russia and the US, which will be held in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. He specified that the negotiations have not yet begun in substance, but if the talks progress, Ukraine and European countries will be included.
The US top diplomat noted that US President Donald Trump had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. During the conversation, Putin expressed interest in peace, and Trump stressed that the goal is to achieve a lasting solution to the conflict that ensures Ukraine's sovereignty.
Rubio emphasized the need for concrete actions and indicated that the next few weeks would be decisive for the seriousness of the negotiations. "One phone call does not lead to peace," he added.
He also emphasized that if these negotiations become real, Ukraine will have to participate in them, because it is she who is under attack, and Europe must be included, since it imposed sanctions on Putin and Russia.
When asked whether he discussed the lifting of sanctions against Russia during the phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Rubio refused to confirm. However, he specified that the two discussed the "very difficult conditions" under which the US Embassy in Moscow operates, and stressed that the normal functioning of diplomatic missions is essential for the progress of the peace process.