US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a briefing that Washington continues to share intelligence with Kiev.
Specifically, this includes sharing intelligence: Washington continues to share it with Kiev.
“We continue to provide them with intelligence support“, the US Secretary of State said at the briefing.
He stressed the importance of Ukraine to US national security and acknowledged that resolving the Ukrainian conflict had proven extremely difficult, although he initially considered it a simple task. At the same time, he expressed hope that the settlement process could be completed by the end of the year.
„Nobody said that Ukraine is zero in terms of our national interests“, he said.
Rubio noted that resolving the Ukrainian conflict has become the most difficult task for the United States.
„I thought this would be the easiest thing, but it turned out to be the most difficult“, he said.
According to the US Secretary of State, he does not expect capitulation from either Russia or Ukraine in the near future, therefore „the only way is a negotiated agreement“.
At the same time, the diplomat stressed that „progress has been made“ in the negotiation process. „I think we have made progress, but there is still room for work. And, obviously, the most difficult issues always come up last,” he said, noting that the conflict could be resolved by the end of the year.
Rubio added that only US President Donald Trump could decide whether it was advisable for Washington to continue its participation in the settlement talks.
„We understand that a deal cannot be reached unless both sides agree to give and take.
Both sides will have to make concessions. We may not be able to reach a deal,“ he acknowledged.
„Ultimately, that is a decision that the president will make - if and when he determines that our participation is no longer productive or in our national interest,“ he concluded.
Rubio confirmed that the talks on the Ukrainian conflict will take place in Miami on December 19 and 20. He may be involved in them.
“They start today and continue tomorrow. I might be there for some of them tomorrow,“ Rubio said.
Contacts on the Ukraine settlement are happening daily, sometimes with the participation of the US permanent representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, although many of them remain unannounced, Rubio noted.
“There are meetings that you know about, and then there are negotiations that are happening every day.
There was a meeting in Berlin earlier this week. There are phone calls every day... There are days when Matt Whitaker, our permanent representative to NATO, or our ambassadors in other countries are on the call... So the work continues every day, all the time, probably around the clock“, the secretary of state explained.
Rubio also expressed confidence that NATO is now stronger than ever.
“NATO is a key defense alliance that guarantees stability on the European continent. We believe it is stronger than ever“, the secretary of state told reporters.
He explained that the bloc's member states are paying increased contributions, which has allowed for increased spending on weapons and increased capacity to support NATO's capabilities.