The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said they are not ruling out that Russia could reject the proposed 30 day ceasefire.
Rubio said at a news briefing in Ireland should Vladimir Putin does reject it this will “tell us a lot about what their goals are.”
He insisted the US President wants to help bring peace not just for “30 or 60 days but permanently” and it is for “both sides to come to the table.”
Rubio added, “No one is pretending that these negotiations are going to be easy, or fast. or simple.”
Rubio said that during talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia the US discussed “territorial concession” as part of a possible settlement to end the war but said no more on that point.
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Donald Trump has told Russia to take the offer for the ceasefire and said “it takes two to tango” as Ukraine has offered to stop all military activities in a ceasefire.
Rubio said on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia that the “ball is now in Russia’s court” and he is hoping “Russia will answer yes as quickly as possible.”
Rubio added, “If they say no, then we’ll know unfortunately what is the impediment to peace here.
“There is no military solution to this conflict. Neither side can militarily achieve their maximalist goals.
“We’re looking at securing Ukraine‘s long-term security – what is the point of spending all this time to get a ceasefire and a negotiated end of the war to see it re-spark up again in six years, four years, three years? We’re not interested in that.”
Rubio added, “Every country in the world has a right to defend itself.
“Our hope is that we can stop all these hostilities and get to a negotiating table where both sides, over some period of time, with a lot of hard work, can find a mutually acceptable outcome. That, in the case of Ukraine, secures their long-term prosperity and security.
“The Ukrainians made very clear this isn’t just about ending a war, they need to get their prisoners of war back, they need to get their children back.”
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