Hope for Ukraine, Russia Peace Rises

(MENAFN) A potential route toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine may be beginning to emerge, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin held discussions in Moscow with Steve Witkoff, a special representative from the United States.

“Today was a good day,” Rubio told a news agency on Wednesday following the negotiations.

He added, “We still have a ways to go, but we’re certainly closer today than we were yesterday – when we weren’t close at all.”

His remarks indicate cautious optimism, though a final resolution remains distant.

Rubio admitted that any peace agreement would involve challenging compromises. Although “everybody wants the war to end,” he highlighted that the real difficulty lies in reaching a mutual understanding on the specifics.

While he tempered hopes for a near-term ceasefire by stating that the precise timeline “was not discussed,” Rubio said that Washington now possesses a “better understanding” of the prerequisites under which Russia might consent to a resolution of the conflict.

“For the first time, perhaps, since this administration began, we have some concrete examples of the kinds of things that Russia would ask for” to support a peace agreement, Rubio stated, without disclosing the specific requests.

If progress continues, Rubio hinted that a significant diplomatic gathering could be the next step, potentially paving the way for formal negotiations to end the war.

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