16 hours ago
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that US aid and intelligence support to Ukraine might resume if Ukrainian leadership demonstrates 'commitment to peace negotiations'.
The US administration seeks to understand potential compromises Ukraine might consider during peace negotiations to conclude the conflict with Russia, according to Rubio. “We really want to sort of ascertain where they stand on this and what they’re willing to do in order to achieve peace,” he told reporters while heading to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for a key meet with Ukraine delegation.
"My hope is we'll have a really good meeting tomorrow and be in a different place very soon," the secretary of state added, claiming that Tuesday’s meeting “will be key” to decision on resuming military aid and intelligence sharing. “I think if we emerge there with a good meeting that we feel good about and can report back to the president, then I think decisions will be made in regards to the pause,” he further said.
With regards of sharing intelligence, CNN reported that while the US continues sharing defensive intelligence with Ukraine, it has reduced sharing intelligence that could be used for offensive operations against Russian forces, according to two US defence officials.
The top US diplomat indicated that Rubio and Waltz will attend meetings with Ukraine's national security adviser, foreign minister and defence minister in an observational capacity.
Rubio acknowledged the Ukrainian people's significant hardships and noted that whilst discussing concessions is challenging after such suffering, it remains the sole path to preventing further casualties. He emphasised that he would not impose conditions on Ukraine's decisions. The senior US diplomat noted that Ukraine's potential concessions might not align with Russia's expectations. "That's what we need to find out. We're not going to find out on X. We're not going to find out, you know, on media, press conferences. We have to find out in rooms that are closed," Rubio stated.
Rubio explained that whilst the discussions would not involve specific territorial negotiations, the US aims to understand potential Ukrainian concessions, their requirements, and Russia's position on these matters to assess the extent of disagreement between the parties.
This comes after the US administration halted all assistance and intelligence support to Ukraine following a contentious White House exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance.
The confrontation involved direct exchanges where Trump and Vance emphasised repeatedly the significance of American support to Ukraine whilst demanding acknowledgment and appreciation. Former President Joe Biden had previously expressed similar concerns to Zelenskyy during a stern telephone discussion in 2022, shortly after the invasion and subsequent US support. Zelenskyy promptly expressed public appreciation for American assistance within hours.
His response to the current administration took several days. He posted a message describing the situation as "regrettable" on X, shortly before Trump's inaugural second-term address to Congress.
"None of us wants an endless war," Zelensky wrote. "Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts."
