Rubio says that a ceasefire agreement “ Not outside the ” between Ukraine and Russia

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that a temporary cease-fire agreement between Ukraine and Russia was “not out of the table”, even if the American, Ukrainian and Russian leaders agree that the best result is a peace agreement that definitively ends the war.

“It was agreed by all that the best way to put an end to this conflict is by a complete peace agreement,” Rubio told “Meet the Press” by Rubio de NBC News. “There is no doubt about it. I mean, who would be against the fact that tomorrow we came to you and we said:” We have a complete peace agreement, and it’s done. “I think it’s the best way to put an end to war.”

“Now, if there must be a ceasefire on the way, well, we have pleaded for that,” added Rubio. “Unfortunately, the Russians, for the moment, have not accepted this.”

Rubio’s comments came a few days after the return of President Donald Trump of Alaska, where he met for several hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a delegation of Russian leaders.

The fact that neither the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy or any representative of Ukraine are present for the discussions did not hope for the American officials that they could push Putin to a cease-fire agreement or a peace agreement.

After the Alaska meeting, however, the American president told journalists: “There is no agreement before there was an agreement.”

Later in the interview “Meet the Press”, Rubio blamed Putin not to have headed for a ceasefire, answering questions about Russia continuous strikes in Ukraine in the past few days.

“We generally think that it is very difficult to negotiate when you are in the midst of hostilities. But that said, the only way to have a cease-fire is that the two parties agree to stop on each other … And the Russians simply did not accept this,” he said.

Zelenskyy is White House Monday to meet Trump and other European leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the president of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen, the secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Sunday, Rubio spoke more of the Trump administration’s decision not to impose new sanctions on Russia, despite Putin’s reluctance to go to a peace agreement, saying: “What we are trying to do right now is to end the war.”

“If we are not going to be able to reach an agreement here at any time, then there will be consequences, not only the consequences of the war that continue, but the consequences of all these sanctions continuing, and potentially new sanctions in addition. But what we are trying to do now is to finish war,” said Rubio “Meet The Press” the moderator Kristen Welker.

“I do not think that new sanctions against Russia will form them to accept the ceasefire. They are already under very serious sanctions,” he added later in the interview.

The Secretary of State also said that the decision to impose new sanctions was incompatible with the fight for a lasting peace agreement.

“These options (for sanctions) remain with the president,” said Rubio. “In the minute he takes these steps, all discussions stop. At the minute we take these steps, there is no more sense in the world to go talk to the Russians and try to bring them to the table to reach a peace agreement. So this moment can come. I hope not, because I hope we will get a peace agreement. “

Although Rubio has refused to provide an overview of the negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, the United States and European allies, two points that have presented themselves publicly in recent weeks seem to concern territorial exchanges and security guarantees for Ukraine.

“We must talk about what the territories look like and what the border lines will look like the end of this conflict. There must be to speak of the legitimate desire for the safety of Ukraine in the long term to ensure that they are no longer invaded,” said Rubio on Sunday. “It must be explained on the way in which Ukraine is rebuilt, and how to rebuild a country which has been attacked as often as in the last three and a half years.”

“These are all key elements of any agreement. We understand that. And … if there is an agreement, each side will have to give up something,” he added.

By looking at a map of the territory in Ukraine that Russia occupied, Rubio added: “In the end, if the Ukrainians are not willing to abandon this, and that no one pushes Ukraine to abandon this – and therefore I do not think that it is – there will be a matter of peace. It will not look like that. ”

The Secretary of State added that Putin “certainly asks for things that Ukrainians and others are not willing to support and that we are not going to push them to give, and the Ukrainians ask for things that the Russians will not give up.”

Rubio would also not comment on what the role of the United States could look like in potential security guarantees, although Trump argued that a potential peace agreement would not include a path for Ukraine to join NATO.

NBC News previously reported that Trump had spoken with Zelenskyy and European leaders by phone early Saturday morning on a potential NATO -type security guarantee for Ukraine This includes the United States in the context of an agreement concluded with Russia.

“There should be security guarantees for Ukraine, right?” Said Rubio on Sunday. “I mean, this is one of their fundamental requirements – it is that if this war should end, they must make sure that it does not happen again.”

“For there to be peace, the Russian party will have to accept that Ukraine is a sovereign country which has the right to defend itself and has the right to conclude alliances with other countries to defend itself. How is it built, what we are talking about the way it is built, what guarantees are built in execution.