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Rubio: US will not impose peace deal with Russia on Ukraine

Rubio: US will not impose peace deal with Russia on Ukraine

Boris Bodnar Journalist

20 December 2025, 16:30

Rubio: US will not impose peace deal with Russia on Ukraine — Marco Rubio's speech to journalists

US Secretary of State says that decisions on a possible peace deal should be made solely by Kyiv and Moscow without pressure from Washington

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assured that the United States will not force Ukraine to agree to any peace deal with Russia. He said this on 19 December, commenting on the negotiations to end the war, The Public reports, citing The Guardian and Reuters.

According to Rubio, the allegations that the United States is allegedly imposing peace conditions on Kyiv are ridiculous. He emphasised that the US cannot force either Ukraine or Russia to a deal.
«A peace deal is possible only if both sides want to conclude it themselves", - the Secretary of State noted.

Rubio explained that Washington's role is to mediate and clarify the positions of the parties. It is about finding points of intersection of interests and possible compromises, not about dictating conditions. According to him, the United States is trying to understand what each party is willing to receive and what it is willing to do to reach an agreement.

At the same time, he stressed that the war in Ukraine is not a US war, although Washington remains involved due to its own strategic interests. Rubio acknowledged that there has already been some progress in the negotiations, but that the most difficult issues usually remain at the final stage.

Against this backdrop, a new round of consultations is underway. Earlier, Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, announced the start of talks between the Ukrainian delegation and its American partners with the participation of European allies. Separate contacts between US and Russian representatives are also expected, including with the participation of President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Photo: Getty images

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