Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that he hoped for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine to occur within “days” if Russian leaders agreed. He plans to get diplomats from the Group of 7 allied nations to focus on ending the war during a meeting in Canada this week.

Rubio outlined his vision of the world in a few days: both sides would stop shooting at each other, including rockets, missiles, bullets, and artillery. He emphasized that the change would be a cessation of fighting followed by the beginning of talks. He addressed reporters during a refueling stop in Ireland, as he traveled from Saudi Arabia to Canada.

Rubio downplayed any concerns about American allies being hostile due to President Trump’s recent tariffs. He expected to have friendly discussions with Canadian officials, despite Trump’s threat of annexing Canada and making it the 51st state. He pointed out that the meeting in Canada was not about taking over the neighboring country.

Rubio and Michael Waltz, the White House national security adviser, held talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss starting a negotiation process with Russia to end the conflict. The meeting came shortly after Trump withheld U.S. weapons and intelligence aid to Ukraine to pressure them into negotiations.

Although the meeting in Jeddah led to Ukrainian officials agreeing to an American proposal for a 30-day interim cease-fire, the U.S. planned to “have contact” with Russian officials to discuss the proposed cease-fire. Rubio said that if the Russians responded negatively, it would be unfortunate and reveal their intentions. He added that the Russians appeared open to resolving the conflict under the right circumstances during a previous meeting in Saudi Arabia.

Rubio’s main goal at the Group of 7 meeting was to unite the other countries in their support of peace talks, including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. He hoped the meeting would send a message that the U.S. had taken a positive step for the world and that they eagerly awaited a Russian response to end all hostilities.

Ukrainian officials sought to address prisoner exchanges, the release of abducted children, and humanitarian assistance during any discussions. In response to Ukraine’s request for security guarantees to protect against future Russian attacks, Rubio said that deterrence was crucial for lasting peace. Any commercial minerals agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine would financially benefit Ukraine but would not serve as a deterrent against Russian aggression.

It was unclear when European nations would become more involved in negotiations. Although European countries asserted they would be important players in a settlement, the ongoing discussions between the U.S. and Ukraine were ongoing. Tariffs and Trump’s challenging relationship with allies added to the complexity of the diplomats’ discussions in Quebec City.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/13/world/russia-ukraine-moscow-war-kursk