US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, not special envoy Stephen Witkoff, is now responsible for negotiations with Russia in the White House, and this explains President Donald Trump's decision to impose tough sanctions against the Russian Federation. This is reported by Bloomberg, citing unnamed American and European officials, UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that Rubio canceled a planned personal meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after their phone conversation, when "it became clear that the Kremlin was again trying to slow down ceasefire negotiations and prolong the war."
Rubio's influence on the administration's shift in position signals an even broader role for the top US diplomat, who also advocated a more aggressive approach to Venezuela as Trump's interim national security adviser. His stance contrasted with the more conciliatory strategy toward Russia championed by Trump's long-time friend and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
At the same time, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly denied the corresponding characterization of Rubio's role.
President Trump always leads on foreign policy, and his agenda is carried out by national security officials such as Secretary of State Rubio and Special Envoy Witkoff, who are a united team behind the President's "America First" principle.
Meanwhile, media sources claim that Witkoff's negotiations with Putin and other high-ranking officials ahead of the previous summit in Alaska led to confusion and "the perception that Moscow was ready to make concessions that it had no intention of fulfilling."
Context
US President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital Budapest. Preparations for the summit reached an impasse when Moscow canceled a personal preparatory meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to media reports, during a tense phone call, Lavrov told Rubio that Russia would not agree to a freeze of the front line in Ukraine.