War in Ukraine is only about Donbas, which Russia cannot take by force – Rubio

Rubio says war centres on Donbas, urges concessions from both sides

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Russia’s war against Ukraine was about Donbas, a region Moscow wants but cannot capture militarily. At the same time, both sides must make some concessions.

Rubio said this in an interview with India Today, Censor.NET reports.

On Donbas

The journalist recalled that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin had said the day before that he was ready for a trilateral meeting with the US and Ukraine, and asked what path towards ending the war Rubio considered realistic.

"This is a very complex conflict, and I know that President [Trump] devotes an enormous amount of time to it. We have people who spend their entire day trying to find a way to change the situation and bridge the differences. I would just say that this war - people keep saying it is a war in Ukraine. This war is about Donbas. It is about one region of the country. Essentially, it is about 11 per cent of one part of this country that Russia wants and cannot take militarily, and that Ukraine is unwilling to give up. And they have good reasons for not wanting to do so, for the sake of their sovereignty and their own long-term security," Rubio said.

Both sides must make concessions

According to the official, the question is whether there is a compromise both sides can agree to.

"There is no military solution to this war. This war will only end through diplomacy. And the question is whether we can reach an outcome in which both sides gain something but also make concessions, and bring this to an end," Rubio said.

The US role

Rubio stressed that the conflict could not be resolved without negotiations and that the US was ready to act as a mediator.

"It is difficult, but I will tell you this: however hard it may be, it cannot be done unless both sides are sitting at the table and talking, and we are happy to play a mediating role. That is what we are trying to do. We are not claiming that simply getting them in the same room will solve the problem, but we have no chance of solving it if we cannot get them in the same room," he said.

Rubio also commented on US authorisation for purchases of Russian diesel and a sanctions exemption for India concerning Russian oil. He linked these statements to the war’s impact on the global economy, particularly diesel prices.

Background

On 20 October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Norway and said that Witkoff would present proposals developed on security guarantees, already set out in a corresponding document, during talks with the Russians in St Petersburg.
On 21 October, Trump’s special envoy met Vladimir Putin at the Konstantinovsky Palace near St Petersburg. During the talks, Witkoff said that the conditions for a ceasefire were in place.
Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian dictator, subsequently said that Moscow was ready to resume trilateral negotiations with the US and Ukraine as early as mid-November.
Zelenskyy later confirmed that the US had informed Kyiv of Russia’s readiness for a meeting between negotiating teams. According to him, Ukraine supports the proposal to hold talks as soon as possible.
On 22 October, Russian dictator Putin said that Moscow was ready to resume trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the US. According to him, the talks should aim to achieve a lasting peace and establish a security system for Russia and Ukraine.