The US has ramped up pressure on Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire proposal to end “all hostilities” with Ukraine.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to the truce “so people will stop dying, so bullets will stop flying”.
Speaking during a news conference in Ireland following talks between US and Ukrainian officials on Tuesday, he said there was “no military solution to the conflict” and warned: “If [Russia] says no, it will tell us a lot about what their goals are and what their mindset is.”
Mr Rubio also revealed there had been “conversations” during the meeting about territorial concessions to Russia – something Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has branded a “red line” in his country’s “fight for independence”.
Mr Trump’s top diplomat said the US recognised the need for a potential peace deal to include terms that would deter the Kremlin from further aggression.
He told reporters: “Every country in the world has a right to defend themselves and no one can dispute that, so that will most certainly have to be part of the conversation.”
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Mr Rubio also said Kyiv had made clear that negotiations were “not just about ending the war” but about the return of prisoners of war, as well as thousands of Ukrainian children unlawfully deported to Russia.
“They need to get the children back,” he added.
Meanwhile, in his first on-camera comments since Tuesday’s talks in Saudi Arabia, Mr Zelenskyy hailed the discussions as “constructive” and said he wanted to use the potential 30-day respite as a chance to draft a permanent peace plan.
However, the response from Russia so far has been non-committal, with the Kremlin saying it needed further information from the US and that it “did not want to get ahead of itself”.
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Potential sticking points over a long-term deal include possible territorial concessions and whether European troops could be sent to Ukraine to underpin a peace agreement – something Moscow has rejected as a potential “act of war”.
On the issue of concessions, Mr Zelenskyy told a news conference: “We are not going to recognise that the territories occupied by the Russian territory. The fact is our people were fighting for it. Our heroes fought for that, [were] wounded [and] killed, many of them. No one forgets about that.
“This is the most important red line. We will never let anyone forget about this crime against Ukraine.”
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The president also said “everyone” would have to be involved in compelling Moscow to accept a peace deal, adding: “Everything depends on whether Russia is willing to do so, to install a truce, or if it is willing to continue killing people.”
He added that Ukraine’s allies had “promised strong actions, including sanctions against Russia and military assistance to us” if the Kremlin did not agree to a deal.
Kyiv’s willingness to agree to the 30-day truce proposal prompted the US on Tuesday to resume providing military aid and intelligence to Ukraine.
Donald Trump suspended the support following his public row with the Ukrainian president last month.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the “progress” made between Washington and Kyiv, adding: “We must now redouble our efforts to get a lasting, secure peace.”
He also confirmed to MPs he would convene a summit of international leaders on Saturday “to discuss how we can make further progress”.
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During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir was asked whether the return of Ukrainian children and Putin’s prosecution for such a “despicable” crime would form part of any peace settlement.
He replied: “When we say a lasting, just, settlement or peace in Ukraine, it must, of course, involve dealing with this issue – and we are, as he would expect, raising it continually with our allies.”
The prime minister also praised his team for the “hard work, discussions and diplomacy” that had taken place behind the scenes to help the US and Ukraine make progress following the White House row between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy.
He added: “I’m pleased that we made progress. I think that’s very important for Ukraine. And I’m extremely pleased that support has been put in back by the US for Ukraine.
“So that’s what I did once I understood what I wanted to happen. I’m pleased with where we’ve got to – but as ever, we must go further.”
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