US says no intention to enforce possible deal with Russia on Ukraine, Europe

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured European diplomats that the Trump administration has no intention of striking a deal with Russia and enforcing terms on Ukraine and Europe, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

Marco Rubio spoke with some European allies in a call about a meeting between US and Russian delegations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Rubio told the Europeans that the Trump administration has no plans to impose the terms of any bilateral agreement with Russia on Ukraine and Europe, the newspaper reported, citing a summary of the call prepared by European officials.

Rubio stated that the talks in Riyadh were seen as an initial step to test the Kremlin's commitment to the deal.

He also noted that US-Russia talks on diplomatic restrictions would test Russia's intentions, and failing to agree on the embassies would reveal Russia’s lack of commitment to ending the war.

The secretary of state said the US sanctions on Russia would remain unless Moscow changed its behavior, but some sanctions could be eased if Russia made the desired progress.

He told European officials that he could not assess the Russians' seriousness about a deal after one meeting, but their actions suggested enough interest to continue discussions.

European officials were uncertain how to interpret Rubio’s cautious assessment, as leaders on the continent tried to understand the apparent shift in US-Russia relations, said the daily in its report.

The US and Russia held talks in the Saudi capital Riyadh, marking the first direct meeting between American and Russian diplomats since the war began on Feb. 24, 2022.