USA not trying to impose deal with Russia on Ukraine – Rubio
The U.S. side is trying to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, and not to impose an agreement on the parties, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
"Wars end generally in one of two ways: you know surrender by one side for another or a negotiated settlement. We do not see the surrender of either party in the near future, so only a negotiated settlement gives us the opportunity to end this war. A negotiated settlement requires two things: both sides to get something out of it and both sides to give something. And we are trying to figure out what can Russia give and what do they expect to get, what can Ukraine give and what can Ukraine expect to get in," Rubio explained during a press conference on Friday.
He said the final decision will be up to Ukraine and Russia, not the United States.
"That's the role we're trying to play in this [process]. And that's why you can see so many meetings going on. This is not about imposing a deal on anybody. It's about determining what both sides expect and need to have, and what both sides are prepared to give in return for it, and figuring out whether we can have those two overlap. And of course, that takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work," Rubio said.
He said there is some progress in the talks so far.
"I think we've made progress, but we have ways to do, and obviously the hardest issues are always the last issues," Rubio said.
