U.S. and Ukraine push for diplomatic breakthrough in Russia conflict
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a phone conversation on Friday with Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha, and informed him that "President Trump is determined to end the war as soon as possible," the State Department reported.
"The Secretary underscored President Trump is determined to end the war as soon as possible and emphasized that all sides must take steps to secure a sustainable peace," stated the State Department's announcement.
"Ukraine wants to end the war"
The Ukrainian side also confirms the conversation.
"I had a constructive conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We discussed the upcoming meeting of the Ukrainian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine wants to end the war, and U.S. leadership is key to achieving lasting peace. We also discussed ways to further develop our bilateral cooperation," wrote Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha in a statement.
Trump threatens sanctions
The diplomats spoke right after Donald Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform that he is "strongly" considering imposing large-scale banking sanctions, sanctions, and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and final peace agreement is reached.
At the same time, Axios reports that the American president is furious with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who has intensified missile attacks on Ukraine in recent days.
On Tuesday, a meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations will take place in Saudi Arabia. The topic of discussion will be the end of the war. The parties are also expected to sign a minerals extraction agreement that failed to be finalized after a dispute at the White House.
