Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said that he believes Trump is America's best political negotiator. (MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/Pool AP/AFP via Getty Images, File)
"But I don't want to prejudge that," Rubio said. "I don't want to foreclose the opportunity to end the conflict that's already cost the lives of hundreds of thousands and continues every single day to be increasingly a war of attrition on both sides."
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. The fighting has produced heavy casualties on both sides, becoming Europe’s largest military conflict since World War II.
Trump had repeatedly said while on the campaign trail that if he was president in 2022, the war would not have broken out — vowing to end it if re-elected.
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Trump spoke to Putin in a phone call on Wednesday, telling reporters that he and Putin would likely meet soon to negotiate a peace deal over Ukraine. Trump later assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy he also would have a seat at the table.
While some officials have indicated that European nations wouldn't be involved in talks, Rubio on Sunday said that should the leaders reach the point of "real negotiations," both Ukraine and Europe would be involved.
"Ultimately, it will reach a point when you are – if it's real negotiations, and we're not there yet – but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved, because they're the one that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on Putin and Russia as well, and they've contributed to this effort."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy President of Ukraine talks with media during the European Council Meeting on Dec. 19, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium. (Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
Rubio emphasized that the phone call between Trump and Putin was only a small step in the process towards opening a negotiation to end the war, and that "we have a long way to go."
"We're just not there yet," he said. "We really aren't, but hopefully we will be, because we'd all like to see this war end."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-determine-putin-serious-about-negotiations-end-ukraine-war-rubio-says