Rubio sees chance to resume Ukraine-Russia negotiations in a few weeks

The United States sees an opportunity in the coming weeks to prepare a roadmap for reviving negotiations between Ukraine and Russia after the visits of U.S. President’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv. At the same time, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautions that there is a lot of work ahead before a possible settlement.

Rubio said this to journalists during a trip to Colombia. His words were cited by senior RFE/RL correspondent in Washington Alex Raufoglu.

According to the Secretary of State, the talks of Witkoff and Kushner with the Russian and Ukrainian sides were substantive. Rubio did not call them successful or unsuccessful, but noted that during the meetings new proposals and some willingness of the parties to discuss them emerged.

Before this, according to Rubio, Moscow and Kyiv practically did not show readiness to step back from their key positions and maintained strict “red lines.”

“I think that in the next few weeks there is an opportunity to develop a roadmap, resume negotiations, and possibly reach a solution acceptable to both sides,” Rubio said.

He emphasized that any end to the war would require an agreement that both Ukraine and Russia can accept. At the same time, the Secretary of State did not show excessive optimism, stressing that a significant volume of work remains ahead.

What Witkoff and Kushner discussed

On September 5, Witkoff and Kushner held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, after which they went to Kyiv, where on September 6 they met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

After the talks in Kyiv, the American representatives said they were encouraged by the results of the discussion. Witkoff at the same time acknowledged that to end the war both sides will have to compromise and narrow the gap between their positions.

According to RFE/RL, the American representatives said they heard “new ideas” in Moscow, and Kushner spoke about forming a broader “package of peace.” Ukraine after the talks confirmed its readiness to move toward a trilateral format involving Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow. National security advisers from Great Britain, France, and Germany also joined part of the consultations in Kyiv.

Even before Rubio’s new statement, a senior U.S. administration official had told RFE/RL that the coming weeks would be important for forming a more detailed roadmap. The upcoming UN General Assembly was mentioned as one of the possibilities for continuing diplomatic contacts in Washington.

No breakthrough yet

At the same time, American media have not yet recorded signs of a fundamental change in the parties' positions. Associated Press after the meetings of Witkoff and Kushner reported that no significant breakthrough had been achieved, although Washington hopes to resume the direct negotiation process.

RFE/RL also spoke with three former U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine. They said they have not yet seen signs that the Kremlin has abandoned its key demands. Therefore, the main test of the new diplomatic initiative will not be the mere fact of resuming contacts, but the readiness of Moscow and Kyiv to agree on specific terms for ending the war.

Based on materials from: Alex Raufoglu, RFE/RL, Associated Press