US to step back if Ukraine-Russia talks fail? Rubio warns both sides must compromise for peace deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday (August 17) that both Russia and Ukraine will need to make compromises if the war is to end, signalling the difficult road ahead for peace negotiations, and Russia will face “additional consequences” if negotiations fail. “We want to wind up with a peace deal that ends this war so Ukraine can go on with the rest of their lives and rebuild their country and be assured that this is never going to happen again,” Rubio told CBS News.

He added that a settlement would not come without both sides making sacrifices, “If one side gets everything they want, that’s called surrender. And that’s not what we’re close to doing, because neither side here is on the verge of surrender, or anything close to it.”

He said the US will continue efforts to create a path toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, but acknowledged it may not succeed, noting that American life wouldn’t be drastically affected without peace. “If peace is not going to be possible here and this is just going to continue on as a war, people will continue to die by the thousands … we may unfortunately wind up there, but we don’t want to wind up there,” Rubio said.

“There are things that were discussed as part of this meeting that are potentials for breakthroughs, that are potential for progress,” he added, mentioning that talks would include security guarantees for Ukraine.

What happens next in the talks?

President Donald Trump is due to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday, days after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump described the three-hour meeting with Putin as “extremely productive” with “many points” of agreement, but noted that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal” and no ceasefire was announced.

Rubio, who attended the Alaska summit, said there had been “some concepts and ideas discussed” with Putin that could pave the way for a breakthrough, but stressed details would be thrashed out in Monday’s meetings.

What are the sticking points?

Rubio outlined several key issues still to be resolved, including security guarantees for Ukraine, the fate of contested territories and “where the lines are going to be drawn,” as well as the long-term rebuilding of the country. He said these ideas “require some more specificity” and would need coordination with European partners before being finalised.

“We have to make enough progress so that we can sit down President Zelensky and President Putin in the same place, which is what President Zelensky has been asking for, and reach a final agreement that ends this war,” Rubio said.

Why are European leaders joining Zelensky in Washington?

Zelensky’s trip to Washington comes with European leaders at his side, sparking speculation they are acting as a counterweight to prevent Ukraine from being pressured into a bad deal. Rubio rejected that notion, insisting the visit was pre-arranged. “We’ve been working with these people for weeks, for weeks on this stuff,” he said. “They’re coming here tomorrow because they’re supposed to come here tomorrow. We invited them to come. The president invited them to come,” he added.

He added that while a breakthrough was not imminent, the Alaska talks had created momentum. “I’m not saying we’re on the verge of a peace deal, but I am saying that we saw movement. Enough movement to justify a follow-up meeting with Zelensky and the Europeans, enough movement for us to dedicate even more time to this.”