A.G. Gancarski
Two Florida men are playing a key role in attempting to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
According to a readout from the Office of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Saudi Arabia.
Special Envoy Ambassador Steve Witkoff was also on hand, as was Russian Aide to the President Yuri Ushakov.
State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce cautioned that this was just a preliminary step in drawing down the conflict in the wake of a call last week between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace. We must take action, and today we took an important step forward,” Bruce said.
However, the readout from the State Department suggests progress was made.
The United States and Russia agreed to a “consultation mechanism to address irritants to our bilateral relationship with the objective of taking steps necessary to normalize the operation of our respective diplomatic missions.”
The two parties will also facilitate “respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides.”
Furthermore, “the groundwork for future cooperation on matters of mutual geopolitical interest and historic economic and investment opportunities which will emerge from a successful end to the conflict in Ukraine” will be established.
Finally, Russia and the U.S. “pledge to remain engaged to make sure the process moves forward in a timely and productive manner.”
In comments after the meeting, Waltz and Rubio addressed the urgency of the situation and how it accords with the President’s desires.
Waltz said “the President has stated his desire, his determination, to end this war, to end the killing that is going on.”
“The death and destruction that is happening as this war goes on and on, month after month after month in the killing fields of eastern and southern Ukraine, is unacceptable. It is not in the interest of either country. It’s not in the interest of the world and certainly not in the interest of United States and Europe,” the adviser added.
Rubio said “President Trump is committed to bringing an end to this conflict, as he said when he campaigned for president.”
“And he wants it to end in a way that’s fair. He wants it to end in a way that’s sustainable and enduring, not that leads to another conflict in two to three years. That’s not going to be easy to achieve, but he is the only one in the world that can begin that process. Donald Trump is the only leader in the world that could initiate that process, and today was the first step in that process,” the Secretary of State said.
8 comments
Peachy
February 18, 2025 at 9:43 am
What did Blinken accomplish as Sec of State? Anyone? Another Biden flunky.
MH/Duuuval
February 18, 2025 at 1:36 pm
You are caricaturing yourself.
Blinken and Biden were terrible on Israel and good on Ukraine.
Trump’s TV right-wing personality/DOD secretary took along with him to Munich(!) his pal Jack Posobeic who is a so-called influencer who kept alive the Pizzagate lie. Just like Trump kept alive the Birther lie.
MH/Duuuval
February 19, 2025 at 4:54 pm
“In a recent book, Jack Posobiec hailed Francisco Franco and Augusto Pinochet as role models for the MAGA right.” MOJO online, 2/19
WGD
February 18, 2025 at 10:41 am
And so they are claiming progress was made in resolving the Russia Ukraine conflict without Ukraine or Europe at the table and without identifying the cause of the conflict – Russian aggression. But they did find time to discuss “investment opportunities.” This was a photo op, nothing more.
PeterH
February 18, 2025 at 2:52 pm
….a very expensive photo op.
Ocean Joe
February 18, 2025 at 9:29 pm
Trump will now do to Ukraine what he did to Afghanistan.
Bypass our ally’s government, negotiate directly with the enemy.
Agree to halt aid, or try to blackmail Ukraine into surrendering 30% of its territory, and start a Goebbels style lie that Ukraine started the war, much like his 2020 election lie, and repeat it until Maga accepts it as truth which takes about a minute.
Biden’s foreign policy was inept, Trump is just plain dangerous.
Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons , arguably the US committed to protection in exchange. That was the bargain.
Trump’s latest grift is a pretty sad end to American foreign policy. When he talks about America getting rich remember that doesnt include you…unless you’re already rich.
MH/Duuuval
February 19, 2025 at 4:57 pm
Ukraine started the war — that’s a whopper, all right! But, MAGA just swallows whole what Trump gives out because they LOVE him sooooooooo much.
MH/Duuuval
February 19, 2025 at 12:28 pm
MAGA circular firing squad is forming: “Bannon Calls Musk a ‘Parasitic Illegal Immigrant’” (NYT headline 2/19)