At this moment, there is no prospect for a Ukrainian peace settlement with the mediation of the USA.
25-07-2026 10:30 Politics
1in.am After thirty-five minutes of negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Manila, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly stated that “the 3+2 formula for the Ukrainian settlement is impossible, as it does not satisfy one of the parties.” The Russian newspaper “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” clarified that this refers to the variant proposed by Russia, which implies “recognition of the ownership of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk by Russia, Ukraine's demilitarization, and the establishment of its neutral status.”
Secretary of State Rubio also said that if previously Ukraine did not accept this “formula, it is unlikely to accept it now.” He added that “if peace is to be established, it may be thanks to new proposals and ideas,” and Washington is “ready to present them under appropriate conditions and in an appropriate manner.” The U.S. Secretary of State did not elaborate on what “proposals and ideas” the U.S. administration has.
In response to Rubio's statement, Russian presidential spokesman Peskov reminded that the Russian Foreign Ministry has “reaffirmed its readiness for a peaceful resolution process,” but “we continue our special military operation, as the Kyiv regime is being incited by European capitals to continue military operations.”
The Kremlin spokesman at least seemingly rejected the U.S. Secretary of State's proposal to present “new proposals and ideas” and attributed the responsibility for the war to “European capitals,” which are “inciting Kyiv to continue military operations.”
Peskov's statement suggests that the United States may have “joined the proposal of England, France, and Germany,” which, as informed experts have presented, implies a ceasefire along the line of contact, the creation of a buffer zone, the establishment of ceasefire monitoring mechanisms, and the initiation of political negotiations.
Russia has repeatedly stated that the settlement must include “the realities on the ground.” Moreover, Ukrainian Telegram channels have reported that Moscow has “hardened its position and refused to withdraw troops from the adjacent regions of Donbas.” Ukrainian blogger Nikolai Shukhinsky, without citing sources, reported that Russia has “acquired dozens of missiles from North Korea to use against Ukraine.”
There are no signs that Russia's war against Ukraine will cease. Sergey Lavrov made a threatening statement in Manila: “If NATO strikes Russia, the war will take on a non-conventional nature.” It seems clear that there is currently no real prospect for a Russian-Ukrainian settlement mediated by the U.S. It is not significant whether this is related to Washington's “inability” or “unwillingness.” In either case, the threat of a catastrophic escalation in Eastern Europe and throughout the post-Soviet space is increasing.
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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