US Secretary of State says optimism remains for talks with Russian Federation

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that he remains optimistic about negotiations with Russia aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. He told about this on February 16 on the air of the CBS television company.

"One phone call will not establish peace. One meeting will not help. There is a lot of work to be done," he said on air.

Rubio called the phone call the first step in the negotiation process and said he hoped the follow-up would help resolve the conflict.

"Right now, the process of making peace is not just one meeting. This conflict has been going on for a long time. Therefore, it will not be easy to end it," he said.

He also noted that US President Donald Trump remains determined to end the crisis in Ukraine.

Asked whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to negotiate and make concessions to end the fighting, Rubio said the call should be followed by action.

In business readiness: Putin assessed the prospects for talks with Trump

Will Russian and US leaders be able to agree on ways to resolve the Ukrainian conflict and other issues?

Steve Whitkoff, the U.S. president's special envoy for the Middle East, said a U.S. delegation is traveling to Saudi Arabia on Feb. 16 for talks with Russian Federation. At the same time, he disagreed with the thesis that Ukraine did not participate in the talks.