Ukraine will have to make territorial concessions - Rubio

Rubio declined to offer the contours of a potential deal, but made clear that concessions from Ukraine and Russia would be the centerpiece of diplomacy, The New York Times reported.

“I think both sides have to come to the realization that there is no military solution to this situation. The Russians cannot conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it's going to be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable amount of time to get the Russians to go back to where they were in 2014,” he said.

Rubio added that future negotiations with Moscow need to determine what Russia is willing to concede.

“The most important thing we will leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is willing to do the hard things, just as the Russians are going to have to do the hard things to end this conflict or at least suspend it in some way,” Rubio said.

The U.S. has stopped sharing some intelligence with Ukraine, including satellite imagery, Rubio said it is still providing Kiev with information that allows it to continue to defend itself against Russian attacks.

He said there was never a threat of Ukraine being denied access to Ilon Musk's Starlink.

Rubio and Ukrainian officials will discuss the resumption of military aid during meetings on Tuesday. He said the U.S. position on the issue could change if he is convinced Ukraine is serious about peace.

Photo: U.S. Department of State.