Rubio: “I don’t think we’re on the verge of a peaceful settlement”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he is not confident that a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine is possible anytime soon.

He said this at a final press conference after the two-day meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta, held in the last days of October, Radio Svoboda reports.

Responding to a Radio Svoboda question on whether he considers a peaceful settlement in Ukraine achievable given Moscow’s unchanging position, the secretary of state said Washington is still trying to determine whether an agreement can be reached.

“I don’t know whether a peaceful settlement in Ukraine is achievable. That is exactly what we are trying to find out. I don’t think anyone here is claiming that we are on the verge of a peaceful settlement,” Rubio said.

He noted that President Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff devote a significant portion of their time to the problems of Ukraine and Iran. “But I’m not here to tell you that we are close to concluding an agreement,” Rubio repeated, adding that he hopes peace will ultimately be achieved. The secretary of state also clarified that the Ukraine talks were not discussed at the G20 meeting in Atlanta itself.

Rubio showed the same caution when asked whether Vladimir Putin would take part in the December G20 summit that Trump plans to hold at his Doral resort in Florida. “I don’t know whether President Putin will come to Miami. Nothing about this has been announced or confirmed,” he said.

Three European officials told Radio Svoboda that Rubio, in a private conversation, expressed doubts that the Russian leader would accept such an invitation. They also noted that the secretary of state defended the US administration’s decision to invite Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Atlanta and to send an invitation to Putin, arguing that diplomatic engagement is necessary to achieve a settlement.

“How can you achieve a settlement through negotiations between Russia and Ukraine if you don’t have the ability to talk to both Ukraine and Russia?” Rubio asked later, when journalists pressed for an answer. He noted that Trump does not consider a meeting or conversation with a foreign leader to be a legitimization of that leader’s actions or an endorsement of everything he stands for.

The secretary of state also cited Russia’s nuclear arsenal as a reason to maintain contact between Washington and Moscow, regardless of the state of bilateral relations. “It is always important that contacts be maintained between the United States and Russia at some level because of the danger of future escalation,” he said.

Describing his own interaction with Lavrov in Atlanta, Rubio noted that they did not have an official meeting. They briefly discussed the possibility of contacts between the leaders of their countries at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, but did not make any firm commitments regarding the G20 summit.

Western officials said that privately Marco Rubio also shared his view on Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO. He was reported to have characterized it as unrealistic in the short term and unacceptable to Putin. According to the available information, Rubio warned that Russia’s capture of all of Donbas would not satisfy the Kremlin’s territorial ambitions. “This will not satisfy Russia’s appetites,” he said, according to the European officials. The State Department had not responded to a request for comment on Marco Rubio’s private remarks at the time of publication.

Although Rubio did not publicly express particular optimism about a comprehensive peace agreement in Ukraine, he outlined a more limited diplomatic goal that Washington hopes could yield results: a ceasefire in the Black Sea. During the talks in Atlanta, European officials pressed Moscow to stop attacks that hinder navigation in Black Sea waters. This waterway is vital for Ukraine’s agricultural exports.

Rubio warned that disruptions to grain and energy supplies carry serious consequences for vulnerable countries, especially those dependent on food imports. “This jeopardizes food security around the world, and to some extent energy security as well,” he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also raised this issue during talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on October 31. Zelensky thanked Ankara for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and for efforts to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea.

The meeting in Atlanta revealed deep divisions between Moscow and European governments. The presence of Sergey Lavrov prompted several delegations to skip the traditional G20 group photo. In the end, the photo session was canceled. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Lavrov of presenting false accounts of events concerning the war during the discussions. Kallas told journalists that Russia appears not to be ready for peace talks, citing continued intense strikes on Ukraine. Lavrov, in turn, criticized what he called an “arrogant boycott” by Europe and praised the Trump administration’s readiness for dialogue with Moscow.

Marco Rubio said the US remains committed to seeking a diplomatic solution, describing the war as destructive for both countries. He pointed to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and the growing number of civilian casualties, and also mentioned Russia’s heavy military losses. By his estimate, about 20,000 Russians are killed each month.

“This is a very bloody and destructive war,” Rubio said, warning that every additional month of fighting will complicate Ukraine’s future reconstruction.

He described Washington’s main goal as determining whether it can use its contacts with both sides to help end the conflict. The two-day meeting of ministers ended without a joint communique, as disagreements on Ukraine, the Middle East, trade and maritime security prevented the twenty countries representing the world’s largest economies from reaching agreement.