On August 17, 2025, local time, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated on ABC that the United States will do everything it can to facilitate an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, but both Ukraine and Russia must make concessions.

Rubio stated that the meeting between U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska achieved some progress, identifying potential points of common ground sufficient to advance subsequent consultations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, but that a true ceasefire or peace agreement remains “a long way off.” He emphasized that any agreement must involve Ukraine, that negotiations are essentially about mutual concessions, and that to end the conflict, both Russia and Ukraine must accept the reality that neither side can get everything they want.

Rubio has expressed these views on various programs. On CBS’s “Face the Nation,” he revealed that the United States hopes to ultimately reach a “peace agreement that truly ends the conflict.” On CNN, he stated, “We intend to work hard to finalize a peace agreement that will permanently end the conflict much, much faster than a ceasefire—much, much faster.”

In addition, US envoy Steve Witkoff revealed that Putin agreed at the summit to allow the United States and Europe to provide Ukraine with security guarantees similar to NATO’s collective defense clause as part of any peace agreement. This is seen as an alternative to circumventing Russia’s firm opposition to Ukraine’s joining NATO.