Trump administration pushes for swift peace in Ukraine conflict
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had a phone conversation on Friday with Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha. During the call, he informed Sybiha that "President Trump is determined to end the war as soon as possible," according to the State Department.
"The Secretary underscored President Trump is determined to end the war as soon as possible and emphasized that all sides must take steps to secure a sustainable peace," stated the State Department's announcement.
Ukraine wants to end the war
The Ukrainian side also confirmed the conversation.
"I had a constructive conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We discussed the upcoming meeting of the Ukrainian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine wants to end the war, and U.S. leadership is key to achieving lasting peace. We also discussed ways to further develop our bilateral cooperation," wrote Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha, in a statement.
Trump threatens sanctions
The diplomats spoke shortly after Donald Trump posted on the Truth Social platform that he is "strongly" considering imposing large-scale banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and final peace agreement is reached.
At the same time, Axios reported that the American president is furious with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who has intensified missile attacks on Ukraine in recent days.
On Tuesday, a meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations will take place in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the war. The parties are also expected to sign a mineral extraction agreement that had previously been stalled due to a dispute at the White House.
