Camilla Jessen
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says both sides are stuck, the war cannot be won on the battlefield.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the war in Ukraine cannot be resolved militarily and warned that Washington may have to shift focus if peace negotiations fail to produce meaningful progress.
“I remain confident that we will be able to do something [about reaching a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine], because this is a terrible war that needs to end, because it has no military solution,” Rubio said in comments made during a podcast and later published by the U.S. State Department.
We have to be honest. Russia is not able to advance into Ukraine and conquer the whole country, and Ukraine is not going to be able to push the Russians back to the 2014 borders.
Rubio added that the U.S. has gained a clearer understanding of the Kremlin’s stance after resuming direct contact with Russian officials following a three-year diplomatic freeze.
Still, he cautioned that the U.S. may need to reassess its role if the opposing sides remain entrenched.
“If at some point we come to the conclusion that they [the Russians and Ukrainians] are on irreconcilable positions and things are not moving in any direction, then we may have to move on to other priorities, because there are many other important things happening in the world. This is not our war. We did not start it,” he said.
Rubio’s remarks come amid a broader recalibration of the U.S. approach to the conflict, now in its third year, with rising concern in Washington over prolonged hostilities and limited gains on the battlefield.
President Donald Trump, speaking Wednesday at the White House, said he believes agreements can be reached with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, he suggested that securing a deal with Kyiv has proven more complex.
We have to make a deal with Zelensky … but that has been more difficult so far.
At ceasefire talks held the same day in London, the Ukrainian delegation reiterated to Trump’s special envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, that Kyiv will not compromise on territorial integrity as part of any settlement.
The U.S. continues to support Ukraine with military aid and diplomatic backing but is increasingly focused on exploring viable pathways to end the conflict without further escalation.
