Ceasefire could work within days - Rubio

Rubio said that if the Russians' response to the offer of a month-long silence was negative, it would be very hurtful and it would make their intentions clear, The New York Times reported.

“This is what we would like the world to look like in a few days: neither side firing at each other - no shells, no rockets, no missiles, no bullets, nothing, no artillery. The shooting stops, the fighting stops, and negotiations begin,” he said.

When he and a U.S. delegation met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia last month, the Russians appeared open to the idea of settling the war.

“They expressed a willingness under appropriate circumstances, which they have not defined, to end this conflict,” he said.

Photo: U.S. Department of State.