Russia Rubio: Need to see real progress from the Kremlin soon
According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US will have clarity within weeks as to whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is seriously interested in the Ukraine negotiations. "We will know soon, in a few weeks, not months, whether Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they do. It would be good for the world," said Rubio before his departure from Brussels.
04.04.2025, 19:27
SDA
US President Donald Trump would not fall into the trap of a series of endless negotiations. If Moscow wants peace, that would be great. If not, the US would have to reassess "where we stand and how we proceed." It is clear that Washington needs to see real progress soon, "or we have to conclude that they are not interested in peace".
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had previously said that Trump and his government had so far acted very decisively, but also in a very considered manner. Now the ball is in Russia's court and we will have to wait and see what happens next.
Meeting with Russian negotiator
Rubio said that he had also met with the Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev in Washington. He now has some information for the Russian leadership and the message is: "The United States needs to know whether they are serious about peace or not. Ultimately, Putin will have to make this decision." He believed that the Ukrainians had shown their willingness for a complete ceasefire.
Dmitriev had spoken positively about his talks and also mentioned that direct flight connections between Russia and the USA had been restored. In response to a question, Rubio said that he had not heard anything about direct flights and that he did not even know who was supposed to fly "because all these people are sanctioned".
Dmitriev was the first Kremlin representative to hold talks in Washington since the start of the Russian war of aggression in 2022. According to US media reports, the sanctions imposed on Putin's special envoy were temporarily suspended for the visit.
