Marco Rubio said that only a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin can lead to peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The US Secretary of State expressed skepticism regarding the negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul.
In Antalya, Turkey , U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed skepticism Thursday about the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia scheduled for Istanbul. Echoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks , Rubio said he had “no high expectations” for the process, adding that only a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could unblock the negotiations.
“Frankly, it’s clear that the only way to unblock this situation would be with a conversation between President Trump and President Putin. It would require engagement at that level,” Rubio explained.
Rubio, who is in Turkey as part of his diplomatic duties, reiterated that these would be the first direct peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow since March 2022, the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, he stated, ” I’ll be frank, I don’t think we have high expectations about what will happen tomorrow.” Rubio emphasized his desire to prove his assessments wrong, hoping for “enormous progress” during the meeting, but underscored the importance of direct intervention by Trump and Putin in defining the future of the conflict.
The talks, which have been convened in Istanbul, will see a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov , while the Russian delegation will be headed by Putin’s advisor, Vladimir Medinsky . However, neither Putin nor Trump nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will participate in the meetings.
Rubio highlighted his frustration regarding the confusion over whether there would actually be direct interaction between the Russian and Ukrainian delegates, saying, “We came because we were told there would be direct interaction… but that turned out not to be the case. We’ll see if that changes tomorrow.”
On another front, Trump, who is currently touring the Persian Gulf countries, expressed in a statement the possibility of traveling to Istanbul to advance these negotiations, although he has not confirmed an itinerary. At the same time, Zelensky had conditioned his presence at the meetings on being able to have a face-to-face meeting with Putin, something that will not materialize given that the latter has already ruled out traveling to Turkey.
Rubio expressed his annoyance that it is still unclear whether the Ukrainians and Russians will meet.
“We’re not going to be chasing them around the world,” Rubio said. “We came because we were told there would be direct interaction between Russia and Ukraine, but that turned out not to be the case. We’ll see if that changes tomorrow.”
Trump, who is currently touring the Persian Gulf countries, raised the possibility of flying to Istanbul to advance peace negotiations, but this has not materialized.
Rubio emphasized that without the appropriate level of engagement among major powers, it will be difficult to achieve significant results. “I don’t anticipate anything productive until there is a frank and direct conversation; President Trump is willing to do that,” he stated, emphasizing that participation at the highest levels is essential for tangible progress.
In the current geopolitical context, tensions remain high. The first negotiations in more than three years are seen as an attempt by Ukraine and Russia to find a compromise that could lead to a ceasefire and a permanent peace. However, statements by Rubio and Trump highlight the complexity of the situation, suggesting that real progress lies in the hands of the leaders of the superpowers involved.
