Ceasefire in Ukraine Could Begin in Days If Russia Agrees, Says US Secretary of State

A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could begin within days, provided Moscow agrees to the proposal, according to The New York Times, citing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 12.

“If their response is no, it would be highly unfortunate, and it’d make their intentions clear,” Rubio stated.

Speaking to journalists during a refueling stop in Ireland on his way from Saudi Arabia to Canada, Rubio outlined the US vision for the coming days:

“Here’s what we’d like the world to look like in a few days: Neither side is shooting at each other — not rockets, not missiles, not bullets, nothing, not artillery. The shooting stops, the fighting stops, and the talking starts,” he added.

The US Secretary of State also revealed that during a meeting with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia last month, Moscow signaled openness to ending the war under certain conditions—though they did not specify what those conditions were.

“They expressed a willingness under the right circumstances, which they did not define, to bring an end to this conflict,” Rubio said.

Earlier, Rubio stated that violations of a potential ceasefire in Ukraine would be difficult to conceal, citing the availability of surveillance technology such as satellites.

Speaking to reporters in Ireland, following talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah, Rubio emphasized that modern warfare makes tracking violations easier than ever.

“There are a lot of observers on the ground, as well as all kinds of aerial ones, [such as] commercial satellites and the like,” he said when asked how a ceasefire could be enforced.