Rubio teases Trump, Putin face-to-face meeting after Ukraine peace talks stall

Foreign Minister Marco Rubio addressed the timing of a possible face -to -face meeting between president Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding the ceasefire in Ukraine in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

Trump told correspondents on the first air force on Friday while returning to Washington, DC, from Abu Dhabi that no peace will be reached in Ukraine until Putin met personally. In fact, the President added that he planned to speak with Putin on the phone on Monday, followed by a call with Ukrainian President Folodimir Zelinsky and some NATO leaders.

Meanwhile, Rubio – who attended the opening mass of the fourteenth Pope Liu in Rome on Sunday – said the Vatican offered to host a direct meeting between Ukraine and Russia and possibly other parties.

“The Vatican clearly made a very generous offer to host anything – by the way, not just a meeting between Zelinsky and Putin, but any meeting, including at the technical level, as you know – any meetings you need to host, they expressed his willingness in the interview on Saturday.” I mean, it will be a site that will feel all the parties. Therefore, we hope to reach that stage where the conversations occur regularly, and that the Vatican will have the opportunity to be one of the options. ”

Zelenskyy gives details about the Vans, Rubio in Rome after Russia stops peace

Rubio received a phone call to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Saturday after Putin was not attending a face meeting called the Russian leader with Zelinsky in Türkiye last week. Despite the absence of Putin, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed to exchange prisoners from 1,000 people from each side, despite the failure of the ceasefire or broader peace.

Margaret Brennan, a CBS hostess, asked Rubio if he had talked with Lavrov about a face -to -face meeting between Trump and Putin.

“Well, we talked about a variety of things.” “I wanted to deal with his reading about how the talks were going yesterday. It was not completely a waste. For example, there were 1000 prisoners who would be exchanged, and that from a human point of view, he made it clear to me that they would prepare a document that defines their requirements for the flammation that would lead to broader negotiations.”

Rubio said that the Ukrainians will work on their own proposal soon, and he hoped that the proposals on both sides would be “dangerous and viable.”

“Therefore, we will have to wait and see. But he wanted me to know, and he continued to invite us, that their side would work on a series of ideas and requirements that they will have to move forward with a ceasefire and more negotiations,” he said.

Rubio said the United States “test” whether the Russian was just “clicking” along, as Trump suggested it might be.

From the left: Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, Vice President C. (AP Photo/Jacquilyn Martin, Pool)

Zelenskyy speaks with Trump, the allies after peace talks in Russia, no ceasefire

“On the one hand, we are trying to achieve peace and end a bloody, expensive and very destructive war. So there is a component of patience required. On the other hand, we have no time for the goal,” Rubio said. “There are many other things that happen in the world that we also need to pay attention. So we do not want to participate in this process that is only endless – there must be some progress, and some movement forward. And if at the end of this, in the next few days, we feel communicating with the remainder of communication with the remainder of communication with the rest of the communication with them.

“So, on the other hand, what we see is not very fruitful, we may have a different evaluation. I also agree that, in the end, one of the things that can help break this Logjam – perhaps the only thing that he can – is a direct conversation between President Trump and Vladimir Putin. He has already expressed the desire and believes that he needs to happen, and I hope it will be soon.”

Whether the personal conversations were planned between Trump and Putin, Rubio reiterated that the president has publicly made this offer.

Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, surrounded by the wife of Tajani, Bronella Ortico, the left, and the wife of Rubio, Janet Dosdibs, the right, meets in Villa Mama in Rome on Saturday. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Rubio said: “Mechanics set this type of meeting requires a little work, so I cannot say that planning is planned and we are talking in terms of choosing a site and history.” “But the president wants to do it. He wants to do it as soon as possible. I think the Russian side has also expressed his willingness to do this. And so on, it’s just a matter of gathering them, gathering everyone together, knowing where, when it will happen and what will be.”

Rubio joined Vice President JD Vance at the meeting with Zelenskyy at the residence of the American ambassador in Rome on Sunday.

Vans and Rubio later met with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Layen for trade on trade, war in Ukraine and NATO spending, according to a spokesman for the Vice President.

“The individual countries inside Europe are important allies in the United States. But, of course, we have some differences, as friends sometimes do, in issues such as trade, and we also have many agreements and many things that we can work together, and I look forward to conversation,” Vans told reporters at the summit of the meeting.

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After the meeting, the Vice President’s office issued a statement saying that “the leaders discussed their common goal of ending bloodshed in Ukraine and submitted updates to the current situation of negotiations for the ceasefire and permanent peace.”

Fox News’ Meghan Tome and Associated Press contributed to this report.