Zelensky Signals Readiness for Direct Talks With Putin: USA Won't End All Wars in the World

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is prepared to begin direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin rather than wait for the United States to "resolve all conflicts in the world."

According to Zelensky, Iran has become "the number one issue for the United States," while Ukraine currently remains "in the queue of those issues."

"I truly believe that the United States is the strongest party capable of encouraging Putin to end the war," Zelensky said.

Rubio Says the US Has Chosen a Side

Speaking at a hearing before the US House of Representatives, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States cannot be considered an impartial mediator in the Ukraine conflict because of its military support for Kyiv.

"To be frank, we are not impartial mediators in this war. We do not supply weapons to Russia; we supply weapons only to Ukraine. We do not impose sanctions on Ukraine; we impose sanctions only on Russia. So we have clearly chosen a side," Rubio said.

He added that Washington continues to provide weapons to Ukraine through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program despite the involvement of American forces in the Middle East.

Prospects for Settlement Remain Unclear

Rubio also told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the prospects for reaching a settlement currently do not appear encouraging.

"As of now, the outlook does not look great. Neither side is prepared to make the concessions necessary to reach an agreement," he said.

At the same time, Rubio stressed that the United States remains willing to serve as a mediator and wants to help bring the conflict to an end.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow remains ready to continue negotiations on Ukraine and has never rejected dialogue.

"There are no negotiations as such at the moment, although we are ready for them," Putin said.

Russia Notes US Distance From the Process

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow has observed what it describes as a certain distancing by the United States from the process of resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

"More than once, signals have been sent from our side at a responsible political level to Washington that we note a certain detachment of the Americans from this process," Ryabkov told Interfax.

According to Ryabkov, one possible explanation is the White House's focus on developments in the Middle East, although he indicated that other factors may also be involved.

He added that future negotiations with the United States on Ukraine will depend on the political course chosen by the administration of President Donald Trump. Ryabkov noted that new dates for talks with American negotiators could be arranged quickly if Washington expresses interest.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict remain on pause, although Russia and the United States continue to maintain contacts on the issue.