Rubio: Washington won’t force parties to sign peace deal

The United States is acting as a mediator in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia but will not compel either side to sign an agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Rubio stated that the United States is the only country that has succeeded in bringing both sides to the negotiating table. For the first time in several years, military representatives from Ukraine and Russia have met for dialogue, he noted.

“We are simply trying to play a role, if possible, in helping to reach an agreement. We are not attempting to impose a deal on anyone. We are not trying to force anyone to accept an agreement they do not wish to accept. We only want to assist,” Rubio said.

He added that Russia’s war against Ukraine is causing immense damage to both countries.

“We believe this is a war that should never have happened and must end as soon as possible,” the Secretary of State said.

Rubio said the United States will continue to do “everything possible to bring the war to an end” as long as Washington’s involvement remains constructive.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States aims to end the war between Ukraine and Russia by June 2026 and is working on developing a clear timetable for the negotiation process.

Zelenskyy also noted that the American side is considering the possibility of signing all key agreements, including security arrangements, simultaneously and may apply diplomatic pressure to ensure that the proposed summer deadline is met.