10:12Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears on ABC News’ “This Week” on Aug. 17, 2025.ABC News
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Sunday that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy must be willing to compromise to reach a peace agreement.
"A peace agreement is unattainable unless both parties give and receive. You can’t achieve a peace accord without both sides making compromises," Rubio explained to ABC News’ "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "If that doesn’t happen, it simply becomes surrender, and neither party is going to surrender, hence both parties need to make concessions."
Regarding those compromises, Rubio mentioned that the United States has requested concessions from Putin; however, concerning sanctions, the Trump administration believes that imposing new sanctions on top of the existing ones will cause negotiations to cease.
"Certainly, requests for concessions were made, but what benefit would there be in my appearing on a program and saying, ‘We’ve admonished Putin and told him, “You must do this,” and “you must do that.”‘ It’s only going to complicate matters further."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears on ABC News’ “This Week” on Aug. 17, 2025.ABC News
"The issue is this: The moment you impose additional, significant sanctions, dialogue ceases. Communication halts. And at that juncture, the conflict merely continues," he remarked.
"Now, we might eventually find ourselves in a situation where we have no other option but to do that, where our choices are exhausted, and that would be the conclusion. By the way, there are already sanctions in place against Russia. The President hasn’t lifted any sanctions on Russia. They are already under heavy sanctions, and they also face sanctions from Europe. Thus, we may indeed reach a point where everyone concludes, ‘no peace is feasible here, we will have to impose more sanctions.’" Rubio stated. However, he added that if it comes to that, "You are essentially moving away from any chance of a negotiated resolution, which is what everyone is urging us to pursue."
While Russia has openly opposed Ukraine’s request for security guarantees as part of a peace arrangement, Rubio indicated that the United States believes Ukraine’s request is justified, describing it as "very reasonable."
Conversely, Rubio pointed out that the United States holds that Ukraine is justified in its demand for security guarantees, labeling it a "very reasonable" request.
"We are aware that Ukraine has consistently and publicly emphasized the need for security guarantees. They require such assurances to ensure that this will never recur, that they will not face re-invasion in two and a half, three, or four years, or whenever it may occur," Rubio said. "That is something we are working on. And the Russian side must recognize that, as a sovereign nation, Ukraine possesses the right, like any sovereign country, to form security alliances and agreements with other nations."
Rubio also conveyed that Trump’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine remains unchanged following Friday’s summit and that Ukraine’s participation is vital for a peace agreement.
"I don’t believe his perspective has shifted at all. I think ultimately, if this entire endeavor fails, then there will need to be additional repercussions for Russia. However, we are striving to prevent that by securing a peace agreement," Rubio explained.
"We are not on the verge of a peace agreement. We are not at the brink of one. Yet, I do believe progress has been made," he added.
Trump had previously stated before the summit that he desired a ceasefire and an end to the violence, warning of consequences if it did not occur.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
