US to continue efforts for negotiated end to Russia-Ukraine war, Rubio says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Washington would continue efforts to help secure a negotiated end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“We have tried, and we will continue to try, and do what we can to facilitate a negotiated settlement to the end of that war,” Rubio told reporters in Lisbon alongside Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.

Speaking at the final stop of his European tour, Rubio said the conflict had reached a dangerous impasse that could end through diplomacy or an expansion of the fighting. He warned that efforts by either side to break the military deadlock could lead to a “sabotage campaign” in neighbouring NATO member states or broader strikes, turning the conflict into a wider and more dangerous regional clash.

“In the end, we do not believe that there is a military solution to this conflict, to this war,” he said, urging both sides to come to the negotiating table.

Rubio reaffirmed that the United States was ready to assist talks as soon as possible, but said Washington was “not going to invest in pointless processes if we can’t make progress.”