ISTANBUL
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday hinted at a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York “next week.”
In a conversation with journalists before departing Tel Aviv for Doha, Rubio argued that “no leader in the world” has done more to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war than Trump has, saying the US president held multiple meetings with Zelenskyy, “including probably next week again in New York.”
Rubio said he is doing “everything possible” to end the more than three-year-long war, and is working closely with Washington’s partners in Europe on security guarantees, which he argued will be “necessary in any negotiated settlement.”
“He’s going to keep trying. If peace is possible, he wants to achieve it. At some point the president may conclude it’s not possible. He’s not there yet, but he could get to that point,” Rubio went on to say.
He argued Trump is the only leader in the world that can speak with Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Europe.
“If somehow he were to disengage from this, or sanction Russia and say, ‘I’m done’, then there’s no one left in the world that could possibly mediate the end,” he added.
World leaders are gathering in New York for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The general debate will open on Sept. 23 and run until Sept. 29.
Trump has led efforts to the end the war in Ukraine since beginning his second term in January. He met Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15, but failed to reach a breakthrough. Sticking points for a potential deal are said to be disagreements over security guarantees for Ukraine and land swaps with Russia, which, according to estimates, controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.