US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday, the 16th of February, that Ukraine and Europe would participate in any “real talks” to end Moscow’s war, suggesting that the US talks with Russia this week are an opportunity to see how serious Putin is about peace, reports Reuters.
Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, suggested at a Munich security conference at the weekend that Ukrainian and other European leaders would not attend the peace talks, but Rubio dismissed this.
In an interview with CBS, Rubio said that the negotiation process had not yet begun in earnest and that if the talks went ahead, Ukrainians and other Europeans would be involved.
Rubio said that in Trump’s telephone conversation last week, Putin expressed interest in peace, while Trump stressed the need for a lasting solution that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“Of course, this has to be followed by action, so the next few weeks and days will determine whether this is serious or not. After all, one phone call does not bring peace,” he said.
Rubio pointed out that he had to come to Saudi Arabia anyway because of a pre-arranged official visit. He said that the composition of the Russian delegation had not yet been finalised.
From the US, Steve Witkoff, US envoy to the Middle East, and Mike Waltz, national security adviser, will be present for talks with Russian officials.
Rubio said that in any “real” talks Ukraine and Europe will be involved because Ukraine was invaded and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions against Putin and Russia, adding that “we’re just not there yet”.
In a Saturday phone call Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had discussed the removal of “unilateral barriers” set by the previous U.S. administration in relations with Russia, he said, while declined to say if they had talked about lifting sanctions.
The planned talks in Saudi Arabia coincide with US efforts to reach an agreement with Kyiv to open up Ukraine’s natural resource wealth to US investment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the issue of whether mineral resources in Russian-controlled territories would be transferred to Putin in an NBC interview broadcast on Sunday.
Trump on Sunday expressed confidence that Putin does not want to try to take control of the whole of Ukraine.
“That would be a big problem for me because it simply cannot be allowed. I think he wants to end it [the war],” Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump added that Zelinskyy would be involved in the conversations to end the conflict.
French President Emmanuel Macron will host European leaders on Monday for an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine, Macron’s office said after Kellogg’s remarks that Ukraine and Europe would not take part in the talks.
European officials have been left shocked and puzzled by the Trump administration’s moves in recent days on Ukraine, Russia and European defence.
Their main concern is that they can no longer count on the US military defence and that Trump will try to conclude a peace agreement with Putin in Ukraine, which will jeopardise the security of Kyiv and the wider European continent.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that he was ready to contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine by “deploying troops if necessary” in Ukraine to show the US that European countries must play a role in negotiating an end to the conflict.
Starmer said the decision to send British troops “into harm’s way” had not been taken lightly, but a lasting peace in Ukraine was essential to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from further aggression.
Starmer is expected to travel to Washington soon and on Sunday suggested that Britain could play a “unique role” in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine by acting as a bridge between Europe and the US.