The United States is prepared to restore normal relations with Ukraine, resume contact, and "reset" negotiations. However, this will only occur if Kyiv is ready for peace, stated U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with ABC News.
According to him, the only way to end the war is to compel Russia to come to the negotiating table, "and President Trump is the only person who can make that happen."
"No one here claims that Vladimir Putin will receive a Nobel Peace Prize. ... We need to find out if there is a way to make them stop the war," Rubio noted.
Rubio also stated that it is "counterproductive" to label Russian leader Vladimir Putin as an antagonist and dictator to initiate negotiations. When asked directly by the host why Zelensky can be called a dictator while Putin cannot, Rubio responded that "we have been calling Putin names for three years."
"We have spent three years calling Vladimir Putin names. This is not the right time for that. Right now, we are trying to get him to the negotiating table. And I have said from the beginning that maybe they also do not want a deal. We don’t know. But we haven't spoken to them for three years. Maybe they do want one," he said.
When asked about the security guarantees that Zelensky is seeking, he replied that it is premature to discuss things that need to be addressed if negotiations occur.
He also stated that this will not be an "easy peace agreement."
"Do not do anything to derail it. And that is unfortunately what Zelensky has done," Rubio added.
Trump and Zelensky Feud - U.S. Reaction
Earlier, Rubio noted that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky should apologize for allegedly turning the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance into "a fiasco for him."
Meanwhile, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson hinted at Zelensky's resignation, stating that the Ukrainian president "needs to get himself together" and "gratefully" return to negotiations with the U.S., or someone else should do so on behalf of Ukraine.
At the same time, Zelensky stated that he is willing to exchange his position for his country's membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.