ISTANBUL

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that President Donald Trump is committed to securing a ceasefire and negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war “as soon as possible.”

“Today at the G7 I reiterated that President Trump is committed to reaching a ceasefire and negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war as soon as possible,” Rubio said in a statement on US social media company X.

His remarks came on the last day of a two-day G7 foreign ministers’ meeting near the French capital Paris.

"The Secretary will meet with foreign ministers from partner nations to discuss shared security concerns and opportunities for cooperation," the State Department said earlier about Rubio’s attendance at the meeting, citing the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East as key focus areas.

Earlier Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that he met Rubio on the sidelines of the meeting, stating that Washington's role in advancing peace efforts "remains critical."

Calling Kyiv’s proposals in this regard “realistic and doable,” Sybiha argued that further pressure on Moscow is “key” in ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

He further said that he and Rubio also spoke about developments in the Middle East, and that Ukraine’s help to the Gulf countries in countering Iranian drones has “demonstrated our role as a security partner and contributor.”

Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said the main topics of the two-day meeting “include further support for our state, increased sanctions pressure on Russia, and Ukraine's support for partners in the Middle East.”