US Secretary of State says talks with Russia still possible despite Trump’s sanctions
The United States remains open to talks with Russia, even after President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on two of the country’s largest oil companies, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday.
Rubio confirmed he recently spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and plans to continue discussions. “We’d still like to meet with the Russians … I had a good call with Foreign Minister Lavrov and we’ll follow up on that. We’re always going to be interested in engaging if there’s an opportunity to achieve peace,” he said, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The Secretary of State noted that Trump had emphasized the need for decisive action if progress toward a peace agreement was not forthcoming. “Today was the day he decided to do something,” Rubio explained, referring to the sanctions and the demand that Russia immediately cease hostilities.
The sanctions, imposed yesterday, target two of Russia’s largest oil companies. According to the US Treasury Department, the measures are intended to pressure Moscow into serious negotiations to end its war against Ukraine.
Trump also canceled a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, saying he did not expect the talks to yield the desired results.
Similar news
