US top diplomat Rubio tells Ukraine that Trump wants to end war 'as soon as possible'

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Friday and told him President Donald Trump was determined to end the Russia-Ukraine war as soon as possible, the State Department said.

KEY QUOTE

"The Secretary underscored President Trump is determined to end the war as soon as possible and emphasized that all sides must take steps to secure a sustainable peace," the State Department said in a statement after the call.

Rubio held a separate call to discuss the war earlier in the day with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, according to the State Department.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The U.S. president has said he wants to bring the Ukraine war, launched by Russia when it invaded its neighbor more than three years ago, to an end. Trump has also said Europe must take more responsibility for its security.

CONTEXT

Trump has paused military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine to pressure Kyiv to accept a ceasefire deal after an explosive Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a week ago.

While European leaders rallied to support Zelenskiy after his clash with Trump, their approach to the Russia-Ukraine war and Europe's security remains highly dependent on the U.S. president.

Trump has also said that he is "strongly considering" imposing sweeping sanctions, including ones on banking, and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and peace agreement is reached with Ukraine.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil1; Editing by Sandra Maler and Cynthia Osterman)