The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated on Tuesday that the war between Russia and Ukraine "needs to come to an end" and that Washington is "ready and prepared to facilitate" that outcome, according to statements published by the State Department on its official X account.
Rubio made the statements aboard the official plane, in front of journalists accompanying him during the final stretch of his diplomatic tour of India, which concludes today with his participation in the 11th Quad ministerial meeting in New Delhi alongside the foreign ministers of India, Australia, and Japan.
The immediate context was a new escalation in the conflict: last Sunday, Russia carried out what Ukrainian authorities described as the largest missile strike of the year, including, according to Ukraine, the hypersonic ballistic missile Oreshnik, which resulted in two deaths and at least 91 injuries in Kyiv, causing damage to residential buildings, schools, and a market.
This Monday, another Russian missile struck Derhachi, in the Kharkiv region, resulting in at least two deaths and dozens of injuries, according to preliminary reports.
"Well, this is what happens in these wars. They simply keep escalating. A major attack comes from one side, and then an even greater response comes from the other. And that's how these situations spiral out of control and continue," Rubio said.
"That is why this war must come to an end. Every time we witness these large-scale attacks from one side to the other, it serves as a reminder of why this is a terrible war that has lasted longer than World War II and needs to be brought to a close," he added.
The Secretary of State emphasized that the United States remains willing to mediate: “We are ready and prepared to do everything we can to help facilitate the end of this war. And we hope that at some point the opportunity arises to once again play that role.”
The statements reinforce the diplomatic stance that Rubio has maintained since the beginning of the Trump administration. Last Sunday, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, asserted that Russia "terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate attacks on city centers."
On May 24, during a joint press conference with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Rubio had already pointed out that the conflict cannot be resolved militarily and that the only path is negotiation, reiterating the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and indicating that the next step was for Moscow to accept the proposal.
This stance is consistent with Rubio's diplomatic track record in the conflict: in February 2025, he spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in search of a negotiated settlement, and in January 2026, he celebrated the launch of Trump's "peace board" for Ukraine.
Filed under: