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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that during talks with the Russians, they are checking how serious their commitment to peace is.
Rubio said this in an interview with Fox News, the transcript of which is provided by the State Department.
According to him, conversations with Russian representatives serve as a kind of test.
“We told them: ‘Guys, do you want to end the war, or do you want to continue?’ If you want to end the war, we can talk about what is needed for this from their point of view. If you want to continue the war, just tell us now,” he noted.
According to the Secretary of State, the Russians agreed to further steps when groups of diplomats will be sent to meet with their representatives to discuss what is needed to end the war.
“If what they insist on is unrealistic, then we know they are not serious about it. But we must test this proposal. We must know, and the president wants to know at the beginning of his presidency whether the Russians are interested in ending this war or not,” Rubio explained.
He emphasized that Donald Trump knows how to make deals and has been making deals all his life.
“He is not going to be drawn into a bad deal. He is not going to be dragged into endless negotiations. But he wants to be a peacemaker—not just a dealmaker, but a peacemaker—and President Trump is checking whether the Russians are serious or not,” Rubio stated.
On February 24, Trump expressed hope that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine could end “in a matter of weeks.”
Trump also said that he supports the idea of deploying European troops in Ukraine to monitor a potential “truce.”
Read also: Germany’s next government will be more resolute on long-range weapons for Ukraine – German MP
