Rubio reaffirms US priority on Ukraine ceasefire in call with UK foreign secretary

On May 11, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, reaffirming American support for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and backing efforts to maintain stability in South Asia.

According to a State Department readout, the conversation covered a range of regional security concerns, focusing on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tensions between India and Pakistan, Caliber.Az reports.

On Ukraine, Rubio underscored Washington’s urgent priority in halting hostilities. “Our top priority remains bringing an end to the fighting and an immediate ceasefire,” the Secretary said, reaffirming longstanding U.S. diplomatic efforts to broker peace in the region.

The two diplomats also addressed South Asia, urging restraint and continued dialogue between India and Pakistan. “The Secretary and Foreign Secretary Lammy emphasized the need for both sides to maintain the ceasefire and to continue to communicate,” the statement noted.

The Secretary expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications.

Note that, Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 11 proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine to be held on 15 May in Istanbul, saying the talks should aim to bring about a lasting peace and address the root causes of the conflict.

“We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” Putin said in a statement from the Kremlin. “We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.”

The proposal comes more than two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II and plunging Russia-West relations into their deepest crisis since the Cold War.

Putin said the aim of the talks would be “to eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and “to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace” rather than a temporary truce to regroup forces.

“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table,” he said. “The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples.”

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he hopes for a ceasefire with Russia starting on May 12 and is ready to meet President Vladimir Putin in Türkiye for direct peace negotiations.

“I will be waiting for Putin,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the Russian leader’s proposal for talks in Istanbul.

By Aghakazim Guliyev