Rubio: Trump Open to Any Step That Could End the Ukraine War
The US Secretary of State denies halting intelligence sharing with Ukraine and dismisses Zelensky's criticisms, emphasizing the administration's focus on ending the war.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that President Donald Trump is open to any step that could end the war in Ukraine.
Rubio told reporters in Uzbekistan that there were no restrictions on sharing intelligence with Kyiv regarding Russian attacks. He said intelligence sharing had not been halted, following criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of his country’s allies for failing to provide advance warnings of Russian ballistic missile strikes during the night.
He also declined to comment on the recent strikes, denying Zelensky’s claim that crucial early-warning data on Russian missile launches had been suspended last week.
Rubio said, “I don’t know where he gets these things from or why he is saying them to the press. What he should focus on, and what we want to focus on, is bringing an end to this war.”
Zelensky said on Sunday that the United States had resumed intelligence sharing with Kyiv, days after tensions escalated between him and US President Donald Trump over Trump’s decision to suspend tariffs on Russia and strike a diesel deal to purchase Russian diesel.
However, Zelensky said on Monday that more than 10 energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine were damaged in a Russian overnight attack, cutting electricity to at least 550,000 households.
Trump had previously criticized his Ukrainian counterpart for what he said was Kyiv’s targeting of diesel refineries in Russia, arguing that these attacks caused “serious damage” to global diesel markets. He made the remarks in a post on his US-based platform, Truth Social, on Sunday.
Trump said he continues to hold peace talks regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine, emphasizing that he does not want to take any step that might foolishly push Russia away from the negotiating table.
Notably, on October 9, Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, under which Russia would immediately supply the US and global markets with more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November, and then one million tons thereafter.
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been waging a military offensive against Ukraine, demanding that Kyiv abandon its bid to join Western military blocs as a condition for ending the conflict—a move Ukraine considers interference in its internal affairs.
