“To achieve a peace, I think we all recognize that there'll have to be some conversation about security guarantees,” Reuters quoted Rubio.
“There'll have to be some conversation about ... territorial disputes and claims, and what they're fighting over.”
The secretary warned that the longer the war drags on, the harder it will be to bring it to an end.
“And even as I speak ... there are changes happening in the battlefield which have an impact on what one side views as leverage or the other,” he added.
“So that's the reality of ongoing fighting, which is why a ceasefire is so critical.”
“Even now, when I speak, there are battlefield developments that change what one side or the other sees as an advantage. That’s the reality of combat—and why a cease-fire is so important,” he said.
Rubio reiterated that the United States will do “everything it can” to secure peace but noted that any final agreement will depend on both Ukraine and Russia.
“But we'll see what's possible tomorrow [at the Putin–Trump meeting in Alaska on Aug. 15],” he said.
“Let's see how the talks go. And we're hopeful. We want there to be peace. We're going to do everything we can to achieve one, but ultimately, it'll be up to Ukraine and Russia to agree to one.”