Currently, Ukraine and Russia are literally fighting for a territory of 30-50 km, 20% of the Donetsk region, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with Fox News, writes UNN.
Now they are literally fighting for the remaining 30 to 50 kilometers of space and 20 percent of the Donetsk region
"So we've been trying — and I think we've made some progress — to figure out what the Ukrainians could live with that would give them security guarantees for the future so that they would never be invaded again, that would allow them to not only rebuild their economy but to prosper as a country, to be a country with a growing economy," the US Secretary of State noted.
Theoretically, if the right things are done, in 10 years Ukraine's GDP could be greater than Russia's
"These are the kinds of things: stopping the war; making sure they're never invaded or attacked again; protecting Ukraine's long-standing and long-term sovereignty and independence so that it doesn't become a puppet state — it's actually independent and sovereign; and allowing its economy to not just recover but to prosper and turn it into a story of prosperity. That's what we're trying to achieve here," the US Secretary of State pointed out.
"So what can Ukraine agree to, given all the dynamics I just described, and what will Russia agree to? And ultimately, it's not up to us. This is not our war. We are not fighting in it; there are no American soldiers there. It is happening on another continent. We are involved because we are the only ones who can do it. European countries — there is no one else in the world who could do it. The Chinese cannot do it. The only leader in the world who can talk to both sides and make a deal, if a deal is possible, is President Trump. And he has been very patient. He has dedicated a lot of time to this. Many senior officials in his administration have been involved in this," Rubio continued.
"We are trying to see if we can bridge the gap between both sides. To do that, we have to talk to both sides. There are some irrational people involved in this issue, okay? People who think we should only talk to the Ukrainian side and not talk to the Russians at all. You cannot end a war between Russia and Ukraine without talking to Russia," Rubio pointed out.
But we also need to consider Ukraine's position. They have been very brave in their fight. But we believe that now is the ideal time for both sides to end the war. And if there is a way to bridge the gap between the two sides, we are the only ones in the world who can do it, and that is what we are trying to do
Ultimately, Rubio noted, "it will be up to them." "If they decide they don't want to end the war, then the war will continue. But we will try to bring it to an end, and I think the president should be praised for that, not criticized," he pointed out.
"Some of these people believe that our policy should be to just keep funding Ukraine with unlimited amounts for as long as the war lasts. That's unrealistic. That's not reality. And it's not going to happen. We've been saying this for a long time: the scale and scope of this cannot be sustained. And I also don't think it's realistic for Russia to continue this war for four or five years," Rubio pointed out.