Rubio says talking to Moscow does not mean endorsing Russia's actions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Russias participation in the G20 saying Washington cannot help negotiate an end to the Ukraine war without talking to Moscow while cautioning that a settlement was not imminentSpeaking at the conclusion of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Atlanta on Saturday Rubio said that President Donald Trump viewed diplomatic engagement as a practical necessityTalking to a government did not mean endorsing its actions he addedHow can you have a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine if you dont have the ability to talk to both Russia and UkraineRubio was responding to a question about criticism of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovs participation and the prospect of President Vladimir Putin attending the G20 leaders summit in Florida in DecemberHe said that Russia had not confirmed Putins attendanceHe made no announcement about whether the Russian leader would travel to the summitRubio said that keeping Moscow involved provided opportunities for it to hear from Washington and other governmentsThe United States he said also maintained extensive contact with UkraineWe talk to the Ukrainians plenty We talk to them as much if not more than we talk to the Russian side but we have to be able to talk to the Russian sideHe said Trump did not accept the argument that meeting someone necessarily legitimised that person or signalled agreement with everything they didNegotiations required interaction with the parties whose agreement was neededBeyond the war Rubio cited Russias nuclear arsenal as a reason to preserve communicationMaintaining contact he said was important because of the danger of escalation if something went wrongHe nevertheless offered a cautious assessment of efforts to end the fightingSo I mean but I dont think anyone here is claiming that were on the verge of a negotiated settlementRubio said senior US figures were devoting substantial attention to Ukraine and IranWashington would continue trying to secure an agreement but he did not report a breakthrough from the Atlanta gatheringRubio added that he had spoken briefly with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov rather than held a formal meetingTheir conversation included possible opportunities for the leaders to interact at AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation APEC and attendance at the G20 summit without firm commitments on the latterAsked separately whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could attend the Florida summit Rubio said the decision rested with TrumpHe did not rule it out particularly if attendance could produce a positive result but announced no invitationRubio described the war as destructive and costly for both countriesHe warned that the risks extended beyond the battlefieldDisruption in the Black Sea sabotage and drones entering Nato airspace could spread the consequences of the conflict he saidWashingtons focus remained whether its ability to communicate with both sides could help produce a negotiated endRubio said that European governments and other partners had encouraged the United States to remain engagedRussia remains a member of the G20 which brings together major advanced and emerging economies Its participation in that forum is separate from the former G8 from which it was suspended in 2014 following the annexation of CrimeaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever