OTTAWA, March 14. /TASS/. Ukraine's long-term security can be ensured only in the future, after the parties have reached a ceasefire agreement, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"That's to be determined by the negotiations," he told a news conference after a summit of G7 foreign ministers, when asked how "robust, incredible security arrangements" could look like. The G7 spoke in favor of developing such agreements at the current meeting in Canada.
"Bifurcate two things — the ceasefire and the conditions for everybody to stop shooting at each other <...> then moving to a negotiating table on settling the war with finality," Rubio said. "As part of that second phase obviously every country in the world has a right to security, has a right to defend itself, has a right to protect its territory. That will have to be part of that conversation," Rubio said.
He believes that the negotiations should take into account "not simply the views of the United States, but other countries that are involved," including Europe.
"Let's not predetermine or start putting everything ahead of itself here. The process of what long-term security means for Ukraine... That will be something that Ukraine will obviously have to agree with, and that will have to be worked through as part of that second phase. But we can't get to the second phase till we get through the first phase," Rubio said.