Rubio: Abu Dhabi talks on Ukraine appear to be “very productive”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the talks that took place in Abu Dhabi between the United States, Russia and Ukraine appear to be “very productive,” and downplayed US-European differences over the war.

Rubio said in statements to reporters in Paris on Tuesday: “There is still a lot of work to be done in this regard, and the matter is not about to be resolved in the next 24 hours or so.”

He added: "The really important thing is that the Europeans are at the negotiating table. They are working very closely with Jared (Kushner) and Steve (Witkoff), and they are there every step of the way."

Rubio indicated that the US administration's goal is to expand the scope of the talks beyond the tripartite formula, so that the Europeans have "direct representation at the negotiating table."

Rubio also downplayed the importance of the differences between the United States and the Europeans regarding the war, stressing that “our goals are the same.”

He told reporters: “We want the war to end, and we want another war to never break out. This requires not only ending the war, but also ensuring that Ukraine never again feels any threat to its security.”

He continued, saying: “I would like to point out - and I heard this from my colleagues - that there is always concern in Europe that they may be excluded, or that America will make some deal with Russia and leave Europe out of the equation. Well, Europe is at the table; they are with us.”

The talks began in Abu Dhabi earlier on Tuesday, and continued for up to 4 hours, and will resume on Wednesday.