Rubio Says Russia, Ukraine Open to Limited Grain and Energy Ceasefire
Marco Rubio says both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war have shown interest in a limited ceasefire covering grain shipments and energy infrastructure.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia and Ukraine have both signalled interest in a limited ceasefire that would halt attacks on grain shipments and on each country's energy sector, after he met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Rubio said such a deal would be hard to secure but valuable even if it falls short of ending the conflict. He noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly backed the idea and raised it in talks with the US a day earlier.
"It won't be easy but it's something that both sides have expressed an interest in," Rubio said. He added that a partial arrangement would not end the war but could ease some of the global pressures created by it, and might serve as a platform for a broader agreement.
Rubio said the limited ceasefire has featured in every conversation Washington has held with the two sides, including a meeting involving Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow and Kyiv, and his own talks with Zelenskyy.
He also voiced concern that the war could "metastasize" and spread beyond its current front lines, whether through a hybrid attack, a sabotage operation or a simple misunderstanding. He cited the example of a pilot going the wrong way and triggering active combat, saying such risks are how conflicts sometimes spiral out of control.
Rubio said the US is watching reports closely and has raised its concerns with the appropriate people at the appropriate levels. He declined to detail what was discussed in his meeting with Lavrov, saying that disclosing the contents of such talks would undermine them.
He reiterated that the war will not be settled on the battlefield but through a negotiated agreement, and said the sooner one is reached, the less destruction and loss of life there will be on both sides. His remarks came as Russia and Ukraine continue to strike each other's energy infrastructure with winter approaching.