Rubio Warns of New US Sanctions If Russia Delays Ceasefire Terms

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the United States will impose more sanctions on Russia if Moscow does not submit a formal ceasefire proposal. He made this statement during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This report comes from Anadolu Agency.

Russia Must Act to Prove It Wants Peace

To begin with, Rubio said that Russia must share its terms for a possible ceasefire in the war with Ukraine. He explained that delays would reveal Russia’s real intentions.
“It’s our understanding that the Russians are going to write up terms for what they would require in order to reach a ceasefire that then would allow broader negotiations,” Rubio told the committee.
He added, “We await those terms, and then I’ll have a much better understanding about Mr. Putin’s calculation once we see what those terms look like.”

Sanctions Are Likely If Russia Keeps Fighting

Moreover, Rubio made it clear that the US will act if Russia refuses to move toward peace.
“If it is clear that the Russians are not interested in a peace deal and they just want to keep fighting a war, it may very well come to that point,” he said, as quoted by Anadolu Agency.

Trump Wants to Keep Diplomacy Alive

However, Rubio also explained that President Donald Trump does not want to threaten Russia just yet. According to him, Trump fears that early threats could stop the talks.
“The president believes that right now, if you start threatening sanctions, the Russians will stop talking,” Rubio said.

Furthermore, Rubio stressed that Trump wants to end the war. He wants both Russia and Ukraine to stay engaged in peaceful talks. Rubio said Trump is “very committed” to guiding both sides toward a peaceful solution.

Talks May Begin Soon With Vatican’s Help

Earlier, on Monday, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine agreed to start peace talks immediately. This came after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for two hours.

In addition, Trump said that the Vatican may host the talks. Newly elected Pope Leo XIV has offered to support the peace process. Notably, the Pope made a similar offer on May 16 after earlier ceasefire talks in Istanbul failed. However, both countries had agreed to exchange prisoners despite that failure.