US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said diplomatic efforts in the coming weeks will determine whether peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia can be restarted, signaling a renewed push by Washington to mediate an end to a war now in its fifth year.
“You’re going to see some efforts over the next few weeks to see if we can’t restart talks between the two sides and bring this war to an end,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News, as reported by European Pravda.
The top US diplomat cautioned that success is far from guaranteed. “We also understand that both sides have some pretty strong red lines, and until we can bring those red lines a little closer together, we’re not going to be there yet,” Rubio said.
The remarks come as President Donald Trump’s special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Kyiv around Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24, in what would be their first trip to the Ukrainian capital. After his visit to Washington on July 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the envoys could arrive within two weeks.
Direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow have been frozen since the collapse of early talks in 2022, and repeated ceasefire initiatives have stalled. Ukraine insists on the restoration of its full territorial integrity and binding security guarantees, while Russia demands recognition of its annexation of Crimea and four Ukrainian regions and opposes any NATO membership for Ukraine.
Rubio’s comments came as the situation on the ground remained volatile. Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine with 35 missiles and 185 drones overnight into August 1, and Ukrainian officials reported at least nine people killed in Kyiv alone, with more than 30 injured. The escalation underscored the gap between diplomatic signals and continued fighting along the front line.
Any resumption of talks would carry major implications for Western military aid, sanctions policy and European security. Officials and analysts have cautioned that both sides still hold maximalist positions, and earlier shuttle diplomacy by US envoys has so far failed to produce a breakthrough.
Rubio has been among the administration officials most involved in Ukraine policy since taking office. Washington has continued to provide military aid to Kyiv while pressing for a negotiated settlement, and US officials have traveled between European capitals in recent months to test Moscow’s openness to a ceasefire. Kremlin officials, for their part, have said any talks must reflect what they call Russia’s security interests and the situation on the ground.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrainska Pravda: Russia attacks Ukraine with 35 missiles and 185 drones, Kyiv Post: Witkoff, Kushner expected in Kyiv.
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