Only Putin can end war from Russian side - Rubio
Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to the President of the United States Marco Rubio said that the United States is currently trying to make diplomatic efforts to find an acceptable compromise for both sides in the Russian-Ukrainian war, but the issues of territory and security guarantees for Ukraine remain problematic.
"Right now they are literally fighting for a territory of 30 to 50 km and 20% of the remaining Donetsk region. So we tried to figure out - and, I think, we have made some progress - what could satisfy the Ukrainians, what would give them security guarantees for the future, that they will never be invaded again, which would allow them not only to rebuild their economy, but also to prosper as a country, to be a country with a growing economy. Theoretically, if everything is done right, in 10 years Ukraine's GDP could exceed Russia's GDP," Rubio said on Fox News in response to a question from Sean Hannity about the settlement of the war.
The US Secretary of State once again noted that this is "not our war," but the United States is involved because "the only leader in the world who can negotiate with both sides and make a deal, if such a deal is possible, is President Trump", which is why they are negotiating with both Ukraine and Russia.
"We are trying to find out if we can overcome the differences between the two sides. To do this, we need to talk to both sides... People who believe that we should only talk to the Ukrainian side and not talk to the Russians at all. You cannot end the war between Russia and Ukraine without talking to Russia," Rubio said.
However, he noted that if "they decide that they do not want to end the war, then the war will continue," but believes that "the policy of continuing to finance Ukraine with unlimited amounts throughout the war" is unrealistic. At the same time, he "doesn't think it's realistic that Russia will continue this war for four or five years."
Rubio stressed that the final decision to end the war can only be made by Putin alone, but he is confident that the American side has managed to achieve "some progress."
"Ultimately, the decision in Russia is made solely by Putin, not by his advisers. Putin - only Putin can end this war on the Russian side... We've been trying to bring both sides together and see what proposals we can offer that both sides can agree to. We're going to do everything in our power to make it work. That's what we've been doing for ten months. That's been our goal and our mission all this time. I think we've made some progress. We've come close, but we're not there yet. We're not close enough yet. But that can change. I hope that it will change," he said.
