Rubio on prospects for resolving the Ukraine conflict: I don’t want to be overly optimistic, but I’m not pessimistic either

Substantive new proposals were discussed during consultations in Moscow and Kyiv involving U.S. representatives, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“I would describe this weekend as substantive in the sense that engagement has resumed after many months of silence,” Rubio noted while answering journalists’ questions in Colombia regarding the trips of U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the U.S. leader’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv. “And substantive ideas were put forward,” the Secretary of State specified. He noted that “new ideas were discussed,” but emphasized that “a lot of work remains.”

“I think these were substantive talks. I don’t want to call them good or bad,” Rubio added. He explained that he “doesn’t want to be overly optimistic, but isn’t pessimistic either” regarding the prospects for a settlement to the Ukrainian conflict.