Rubio on negotiations with Russia: We did not draw lines on map
During a meeting on 18 February with representatives of the Russian Federation, the United States tried to find out whether the Russians were serious about stopping the war in Ukraine.
This was stated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Censor.NET reports citing RBC-Ukraine.
Rubio noted that it is not about trusting the Russians, but about actions - either they are serious about stopping the war if they are making maximalist demands ‘that they know can't be met, then we know that they're not serious about it.’
"But we have to test that, right? It’s the only way you’re going to find out if this is possible or not. And we were very clear with the Russians. There was no negotiation. We didn’t sit down over a map and start drawing lines," the US Secretary of State said.
According to Rubio, the US representatives made it clear that if the Russians are interested (in drawing lines - ed.), the US cannot do anything, just as it cannot cooperate economically, cannot cooperate "on a bunch of other things."
At the same time, Rubio is confident that Russia wants it (to draw lines - Ed.), but "they can’t have it. That can’t happen until the war ends."
"And that was our point: If you want to have closer cooperation with the United States on a bunch of other issues around the world, both geopolitical and economic, that war has to end. And so we need to test to see how serious they are about it," Rubio added.
Meeting in Saudi Arabia
As a reminder, on February 12, 2025, Trump said that his meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin would likely take place in Saudi Arabia.
Trump also said that a meeting between representatives of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia would take place in Saudi Arabia next week.
On February 14, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that the Kingdom was ready to host a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
On 18 February, delegations from the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia.
Both sides described it as positive. The United States and Russia agreed to resume the full operation of the US embassies in Moscow and Russia in Washington. The key issue was to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Fox News reported that Russia and the United States are allegedly proposing a three-stage peace plan, including a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine, and then a final agreement.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Trump and Putin may hold a summit in Saudi Arabia next week.
