U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on upon his arrival at the Quai d'Orsay, France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart in Paris, France April 17, 2025. JULIEN DE ROSA/Pool via REUTERS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that now is the time for concrete proposals from Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine and warned that the U.S. will step back as a mediator if there is no progress.
At a later United Nations Security Council meeting, U.S. diplomat John Kelley blamed Russia for the continuing bloodshed, saying it had "regrettably" carried out high-profile strikes "causing needless loss of life, including of innocent civilians."
