12 Mar, 13:36

Top US diplomat highlights plans for further communication with Russia on Ukraine issue

Marco Rubio did not answer questions about reports in the US media of US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff’s plans to visit Russia later in the week

WASHINGTON, March 12. /TASS/. The Washington administration has plans for further communication with Russia on resolving the Ukraine crisis, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

"Suffice it to say there's going to be multiple points of contact with the Russians to gauge, are they willing to do this or not," Rubio told reporters at an airport in Ireland, where he stopped on his way back after US-Ukraine consultations in Saudi Arabia.

However, Rubio did not answer questions about reports in the US media of US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff’s plans to visit Russia later in the week. "As far as Steve's trip, I'm not here to… I'm not going to make any announcements about specific dates, times, or even confirm such a trip," Rubio said.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration planned to have contact with Russia "today or tomorrow."

Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on Monday, citing sources, that Witkoff expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 13. Neither the White House nor the US Department of State has so far responded to a TASS request to confirm this information.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not confirm or deny reports that Witkoff could make a trip to Moscow on Thursday for a meeting with Putin.

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