December 19 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said on Friday that U.S. negotiators have made “progress” in trying to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, but ultimately “this is not our war.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was one of several global issues Rubio addressed during a two-hour year-end news conference with reporters. He said that despite progress in talks, “we still have a long way to go” to end nearly four years of war in Eastern Europe.
“Obviously, the most difficult question is always the last question,” he told a news conference.
“Maybe it will happen this week, maybe it will happen next month, maybe it will be ready in a few months,” Rubio said of the trade.
His comments came ahead of a weekend meeting between U.S. and Russian negotiators in Miami. He said that while the United States was working to reach a deal that satisfied both sides, he was unwilling to impose a plan.
“This is not our war. This is another continent’s war.
“We can’t force Ukraine to make a deal. We can’t force Russia to make a deal. They have to want to make a deal.”
White House officials said they were optimistic a deal would be reached at this weekend’s meeting. Officials told The Hill that previous talks had reached about “90 percent” agreement on the terms.
The provisions include the deployment of a multinational force to Ukraine to respond to future acts of aggression against the country. Earlier this week, European leaders pledged military support to Ukraine as a defense against Russia, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged over the weekend that Ukraine may have to give up its dream of joining NATO to end the war.
As peace talks progress, U.S. negotiators are pressuring Ukraine to make more concessions to Russia, which remains steadfast in its demands, which include giving up land. According to Politico, the Trump administration believes Russia will accept Ukraine’s offer to join the European Union and mutual defense proposals from the United States and European countries.