Rubio Says Ceasefire Deal With Russia “Not Off the Table”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that while the ultimate goal is a permanent peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, a temporary ceasefire could still be part of the process.

“It was agreed to by all that the best way to end this conflict is through a full peace deal,” Rubio told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Now, whether there needs to be a ceasefire on the way there, well, we’ve advocated for that. Unfortunately, the Russians, as of now, have not agreed to that.”

His remarks came just days after President Donald Trump’s meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials. No Ukrainian representatives were present, but U.S. officials remained hopeful about pushing Moscow toward a ceasefire or broader peace deal. Trump later told reporters, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”

Rubio blamed Putin for blocking progress, pointing to Russia’s continued attacks. “The only way to have a ceasefire is for both sides to agree to stop firing at one another … and the Russians just haven’t agreed to that,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House on Monday, alongside European leaders including Finland’s Alexander Stubb, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO’s Mark Rutte, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In Brussels, Zelenskyy stressed the need for a ceasefire before peace negotiations could advance.

“Putin has many demands, but we do not know all of them,” Zelenskyy said. “It is impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons. So, it is necessary to stop the fire and work quickly on a final agreement.”

Rubio also defended the administration’s decision not to impose new sanctions on Russia. He cautioned that while sanctions remain in place, additional measures may not lead Moscow toward compromise.

“Ultimately, look, if we’re not going to be able to reach an agreement here at any point, then there are going to be consequences, not only the consequences of the war continuing, but the consequences of all those sanctions continuing and potentially new sanctions on top of it as well,” Rubio said.

But he stressed that piling on more penalties was unlikely to secure progress: “I don’t think new sanctions on Russia are going to force him to accept the ceasefire. They’re already under very severe sanctions. You could argue that that could be a consequence of refusing to agree to a ceasefire or the end of hostility.”

Asked why Trump had not “punished” Putin further since taking office, Rubio responded that the existing measures remain intact. “Every single sanction that was in place on the day he took over remain. They face consequences every single day. But the bottom line is that that has not altered the direction of this war. That doesn’t mean those sanctions are inappropriate. It means it hasn’t altered the outcome of it. And here’s what we do think is important, and that is that we end this war. To end this war, you have to be able to engage with the Russians.”

The secretary of state added that negotiations must address territorial lines, Ukraine’s long-term security, and rebuilding. “There has to be talk about what the territories are going to look like … There has to be talk about Ukraine’s legitimate desire for security in the long term … These are all key elements of any agreement.”

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told CNN that five disputed regions remain central to negotiations, though he named only Donetsk. He said Russia had made some concessions, with discussions set to continue when Zelenskyy and European leaders meet in Washington.

Security guarantees for Ukraine are also on the table. Rubio said Ukraine must be able to defend itself and enter alliances freely, while Witkoff suggested on Fox News that the U.S. and allies could extend NATO-style protections without formally offering NATO membership.

Not all in Washington were supportive. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) blasted Trump’s Alaska meeting with Putin, calling it “a disaster” and “an embarrassment.” He argued that Putin walked away with “zero commitments made and zero consequences.”