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US to pull out of Ukrainian settlement unless path to peace emerges — top diplomat

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on "the peace proposal presented yesterday to the Ukrainian delegation in Paris and to Russian officials by telephone"

WASHINGTON, April 18. /TASS/. The United States will abandon efforts for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine if a clear path to peace does not appear soon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a telephone conversation.

"The Secretary stressed, while our nation has been committed to helping end the war, if a clear path to peace does not emerge soon, the United States will step back from efforts to broker peace," US State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a written statement following the call.

According to her, Rubio briefed Rutte on "the peace proposal presented yesterday to the Ukrainian delegation in Paris and to Russian officials by telephone." "The Secretary expressed President [Donald] Trump’s and the United States’ hopes that this proposal will be accepted and will lead to a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine," the diplomat emphasized.

On April 17, French President Emmanuel Macron met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff in Paris. According to the Elysee Palace, the "constructive talks" helped to "bring positions closer" on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. After the meeting, Rubio called his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Another meeting of representatives of the five countries is scheduled for next week in London, the AFP news agency reported.

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