Rubio says Ukraine, Europe will be part of real peace talks

He said this in an interview with CBS, Ukrinform reports.

Rubio downplayed the concerns of Europeans that they could be excluded from upcoming talks between Russia and the U.S., set to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. He said that the negotiation process has not yet begun in earnest, but if talks progress, Ukraine and European nations will be involved.

Rubio said that U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. During the conversation, Putin expressed interest in peace, while Trump conveyed his desire for a lasting resolution that ensures Ukrainian sovereignty.

Rubio stressed that concrete actions must now follow, noting that the next few weeks will determine the seriousness of these discussions. "Ultimately, one phone call does not make peace," he added.

"Ultimately, if it's real negotiations, and we're not there yet, but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved, because they're the one that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on Putin and Russia as well," Rubio said.

When asked whether he had discussed lifting sanctions on Russia during a Saturday phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Rubio declined to confirm. However, he mentioned that they had discussed "very difficult conditions" under which the U.S. embassy operates in Moscow. He added that functional embassies in both countries are necessary to make progress in the peace process.

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