Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is the only way to end the war in Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine are to meet Friday in Turkey, though low-level Russian officials will take part in the talks. Rubio said that he does not have high expectations the talks will produce anything substantial and that he plans to meet with Ukrainians on Friday, The Hill reported.
Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, said Trump has grown impatient and wants the three-year war to end, according to The Hill.
"The only way to have a breakthrough between President Trump and Putin," Rubio told reporters, adding that nothing productive will happen until the two sides engage.
Trump said he wasn't surprised Putin did not want to attend the talks, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushing him to join.
"I actually said, 'Why would he go if I'm not going?'" Trump said in Qatar. "I would go, but I wasn't planning to go, and I said, 'I don't think he's going to go if I don't go.'"
Rubio said Trump remains open to meeting with Putin, The Hill reported.
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