The United States is focused on bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to Iceland.
Speaking to the press during his trip, the secretary of state said Washington wanted to play a constructive role in reaching a settlement. His remarks were broadcast on the DWS News YouTube channel.
Rubio said that at the moment, the United States was focused on achieving an end to the conflict, if it was possible to do so.
However, he noted that Washington could see the current situation in Ukraine was not developing in a direction that pointed toward a conclusion of the hostilities.
Search for a settlement
The conflict in Ukraine has been ongoing since Russia launched its full-scale military invasion of the neighbouring country in February 2022. The fighting has evolved into a prolonged war of attrition along a front line that stretches for hundreds of miles, resulting in significant casualties on both sides and displacing millions of civilians from their homes.
The United States, along with its allies in NATO and the European Union, has been a primary backer of Ukraine throughout the war. Washington has provided Kyiv with successive packages of advanced military equipment, financial support, and humanitarian assistance to help the country defend itself against the much larger Russian military forces.
Efforts to reach a negotiated settlement have repeatedly stalled over the past few years, and the basic demands of the two warring sides remain largely incompatible. Ukraine has consistently demanded the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the full restoration of its internationally recognised borders. Meanwhile, Russia continues to occupy substantial portions of eastern and southern Ukraine and has formally claimed to have annexed several Ukrainian regions.
Prior to Rubio making his comments in Iceland, Russian President Vladimir Putin had expressed his gratitude to the US president for his efforts toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
