In a stunning shift, the United States has declared that there is “no military solution to the ongoing war in Ukraine, fueling speculation that Washington is pressuring Kyiv to negotiate a settlement with Moscow.
Speaking ahead of high-stakes talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, March 11, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Ukraine must be prepared to make “difficult” concessions if peace is to be achieved, marking a major departure from the unwavering U.S. support for Kyiv since the war began.
Rubio’s remarks come amid strained U.S.-Ukraine relations, with reports indicating that Washington has quietly reduced military assistance while engaging in backchannel diplomacy to push for a resolution.
The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things, to end this conflict or at least pause it,Rubio stated before leaving for the talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia—a neutral venue that underscores growing friction between Kyiv and Washington.
His blunt assessment—that neither Russia nor Ukraine can achieve total victory—directly contradicts Kyiv’s insistence on reclaiming all occupied territories, including Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attempted to downplay concerns, saying Ukraine would engage in the talks with a fully constructive approach. However, the presence of Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, leading Ukraine’s delegation has raised eyebrows, with many seeing it as a signal that Kyiv is being pushed toward diplomatic compromises.
The Jeddah meeting marks the first major diplomatic exchangebetween the U.S. and Ukraine since Trump and Zelenskyy’s infamous Oval Office clash, which led to a freeze in U.S. military aid and growing tensions between the two nations.
With military aid dwindling and U.S. officials openly questioning Kyiv’s war strategy, the once-steadfast American backing for Ukraine appears to be warning.
Is Washington abandoning Kyiv or is this the harsh reality of war diplomacy? As Ukraine faces mounting military and political pressure, the world is left wondering: Is a forced settlement on the horizon?
