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The United States is not acting as a neutral mediator in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Washington continues to support Kyiv while maintaining pressure on the Kremlin, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a hearing in the House of Representatives, UATV English reports, citing AP.
According to Rubio, the United States does not view itself as a neutral broker in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the White House has a clear political position.
“Unfortunately, up to this point, neither side — particularly the Russian side — has shown a willingness to make the concessions necessary to achieve peace. We remain willing to play any role we can in the context of pursuing peace because we believe the war in Ukraine is a destructive war that has no military solution,” Rubio said.
At the same time, he stressed that the United States continues to provide consistent support to Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia.
“We do not provide weapons to Russia. We provide weapons only to Ukraine. We do not impose sanctions on Ukraine. We impose sanctions only on Russia. So we have clearly chosen a side,” the US secretary of state emphasized.
Russia Will Not Be Able to Achieve Its Goals in the War Against Ukraine, Rubio Says.
Rubio also described Russia’s full-scale invasion as a strategic mistake and noted that an increasing number of people in Moscow recognize that the Kremlin is unlikely to achieve its stated objectives.
Ukraine is operating effectively on the battlefield and continues to conduct strikes deep inside Russian territory, he added.
Rubio stressed that ending the war is only possible through negotiations, although the positions of the two sides remain far apart.
Earlier, Rubio said that the United States would like to end exemptions from sanctions on Russian oil as soon as possible. He noted that sanctions targeting Russian oil remain a central element of US policy.
Read also: Rubio Signals Update on $400 Million Military Aid Package for Ukraine
