“But we want to see it happen,” he added. “There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic of course as well. We’re close, but we’re not close enough.”
It was not clear if the timeline he offered was meant to pressure Ukraine and Russia to agree to enter direct discussions toward a deal, or whether President Donald Trump and his aides were seriously considering walking away.
In an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, did not suggest any settlement was imminent. “We are ready to reach a deal,” he said. “But there are still some specific points — elements of this deal which need to be fine-tuned.”
Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on Thursday that killed at least 12 people, prompting unusually sharp criticism from Trump. Lavrov said in the interview, which was recorded on the day of the strikes, that Russia still had not agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day full ceasefire that the Ukrainians have said they accepted.Rubio’s remarks came a day after Trump met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine in the halls of the Vatican while both leaders were attending the funeral of Pope Francis.In meetings this month in Paris and London and in exchanges via allied channels, U.S. and Ukrainian officials, including Rubio, have discussed possible terms of a negotiated settlement involving Russia and traded proposals and counterproposals.
FAQs
Q1. Who is US Secretary of State?
A1. US Secretary of State is Marco Rubio.
Q2. Who is foreign minister of Russia?
A2. Foreign minister of Russia is Sergey Lavrov.
