This morning, officials from the Trump Administration appeared on various Sunday news programs to discuss President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to establish peace following his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The officials highlighted the importance of a comprehensive peace deal as the ultimate goal in resolving the conflict.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed these issues on Meet the Press, stating, “It was agreed to by all that the best way to end this conflict is through a full peace deal. There’s no doubt about that… What we’re aiming for here is not a ceasefire — what we ultimately are aiming for is an end to this war.”
He emphasized that the United States is not directly involved in the conflict but plays a vital role in supporting Ukraine by encouraging dialogue between the involved parties.
Rubio remarked, “This is not our war. The United States is not in a war. Ukraine is in a war, and we’ve been supporting Ukraine. We happen to be in the role of the only country in the world with the only leader in the world that can actually bring Putin to a table to even discuss these things.”
He further elaborated, stating, “The only way to reach a deal is for each side to get something and each side to give something — and that’s been very difficult. If it was easy, this wouldn’t have been going on for three and a half years.”
The urgency of these discussions is underscored by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s scheduled visit to Washington, indicating that significant negotiations are underway.
In a follow-up appearance on This Week, Rubio stressed the necessity of Ukraine’s involvement in any peace discussions, asserting, “In order for us to get a peace agreement, Ukraine has to be a part of it. They have to be included; they have to be involved.”
He noted that President Trump’s unique position allows him to facilitate these critical talks, remarking, “You’re not going to end a war between Russia and Ukraine without dealing with Putin…”
The Secretary highlighted the collective international support urging the U.S. to engage with Russia to promote peace.
“Everyone, including the Ukrainians and all the countries in Europe, are begging the United States to be engaged, engage Putin, and try to get him to agree to a peace agreement,” Rubio added.
On Sunday Morning Futures, Rubio reiterated that there were no promises of a deal coming out of the forthcoming meeting, given that Zelensky’s participation was not yet confirmed.
He stated, “We never said there was going to be a deal coming out of the meeting because the Ukrainians are not there. This is a war between two countries; it’s not America… We made progress in narrowing down the issue set.”
Rubio conveyed that both sides would need to make concessions, highlighting, “You can’t have a peace deal between two warring factions unless both sides agree to give up something.”
Echoing this sentiment, he asserted that it should lead to a meeting between the three leaders, emphasizing Trump’s crucial role in potentially bringing the parties together.
In his interview on Face the Nation, Rubio remarked on President Trump’s dedication to resolving the ongoing conflict, stating, “What the President deserves a lot of credit for is the amount of time and energy that his administration is placing on reaching a peace agreement for a war that’s not a war that started under him.”
He also noted the inherent challenges faced in diplomacy, saying, “In order for there to be a peace deal — this is just a fact, we may not like it, it may not be pleasant, it may be distasteful — but in order for there to be an end to the war, there are things that Russia wants that it cannot get and there are things that Ukraine wants that it’s not going to get.”
Rubio dismissed narratives claiming that Trump would pressure Zelensky into an unfavorable deal, asserting, “This is such a stupid media narrative that they’re coming here tomorrow because Trump is going to bully Zelensky into a bad deal. We’ve been working with these people for weeks.
image source from：whitehouse
