US secretary of state says Ukraine should present ‘it’s ready to do troublesome issues’
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has been chatting with reporters on his flight to Saudi Arabia for talks with Ukrainian officers.
He says the purpose of the conferences is to determine Ukraine’s intentions and attain a degree the place peace is feasible.
Rubio says he hopes to get an understanding of “the place either side actually are” and get “a way of how large the divide is and arduous it’ll be”.
“Crucial factor that we now have to go away right here with is a powerful sense that Ukraine is ready to do troublesome issues, just like the Russians are going to should do troublesome issues to finish this battle,” he says.
He provides that he does not have any pre-determined phrases that every aspect have to say, however that each want to return to the understanding that there isn’t any army answer to the warfare solely a diplomatic one.
To that finish, Rubio says: “I believe the French and the British have been very supportive alongside the best way over the past week as nicely, very useful.”
He says the minerals deal – deserted after Donald Trump’s Oval Workplace row with Volodomyr Zelenskyy – continues to be on desk however not a part of this dialog or the primary matter on this agenda
On the vexed matter of intelligence sharing (see 14.11 submit), he provides: “The Ukrainians are already receiving all defensive intelligence data as we communicate.
“I believe all of the notion of the pause in assist broadly is one thing I hope we will resolve… what occurs tomorrow can be key to that.”
Pressed additional on the topic, he says: “Yeah, they [Ukraine] have the power to defend themselves. However I do not need to get too deep into the intelligence piece.”