Germany Rubio: "Cautious optimism" for peace in Ukraine
Following the agreement with Western foreign ministers on a common stance on Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed hope for de-escalation. There is reason for "cautious optimism" that peace can be achieved soon, Rubio said in Charlevoix, Canada, after the end of the foreign ministers' meeting of the economically strong democracies of the G7.
14.03.2025, 18:10
SDA
The ministers had previously shown unity on key issues such as the highly controversial Ukraine policy - despite the diplomatic turmoil triggered by US President Donald Trump. In the final declaration, the USA also committed itself to the territorial integrity of Ukraine and called on Russia to accept the Ukrainian-American proposal for a ceasefire. For lasting peace, however, there must also be security guarantees for Ukraine - an important demand from Kiev that Trump had previously rejected.
US government discusses Putin's position at the weekend
"I think we have a very strong statement from the G7," Rubio continued. He also assessed a meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on a possible ceasefire as "very positive and productive". The Russian position will be examined in more detail over the weekend, and Trump will decide on the next steps at the end. Putin had tied a possible agreement to many preconditions, which ultimately boil down to the well-known maximum demands on Ukraine. In view of the surprisingly warm atmosphere at the meeting in bitterly cold eastern Canada, Rubio even paid tribute to Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, even though US President Trump had plunged the relationship between the two neighboring countries into a serious crisis with threats of tariffs and annexation. "She has become a friend in recent weeks," said Rubio.
