US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the administration of former US President Joe Biden of losing contact with Moscow.
Rubio emphasized that even at the height of the Cold War, communication between the USSR and the USA was maintained. He noted that Russia and the USA can still cooperate on various issues.
Despite the obstacle in the form of the conflict in Ukraine, the US must have the opportunity to conduct a dialogue with Russia, Rubio said. He called Russia a global power.
According to him, maintaining contacts with Moscow is necessary in order to assess its intentions regarding the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict. He added that cooperation between the two countries remains possible.
Speaking about the recent meeting with the Russian delegation in Riyadh, Rubio clarified that the meeting itself had a different goal, territorial issues regarding Ukraine were not raised.
US Secretary of State specified that the talks in Riyadh were aimed at discussing the prospects for the peace process in Ukraine, while the lifting of sanctions was not discussed either.
Rubio reiterated that the issue of lifting anti-Russian restrictions was not raised at the meeting in Riyadh, since the discussions had not yet reached this stage.
He stated that the USA continues consultations with the EU and Ukraine. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of maintaining dialogue with Russia, despite disagreements.
The Secretary of State acknowledged Russia's influence in Syria and its involvement in the processes taking place in the Middle East, the Western Hemisphere and Europe.
In addition to this, he spoke about the possibility of a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. According to him, such negotiations should be substantive.
Rubio added that the meetings between heads of state are not held without a reason, and largely depend on whether progress can be made on the conflict.
"The only way is to test them, to basically engage them and say, okay, are you serious about ending the war, and if so, what are your demands",
Marco Rubio said in an interview.
