U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that no agreement on Ukraine was reached during the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Anchorage.
Rubio made the statement while speaking to reporters in Manama, Bahrain, before departing from Bahrain International Airport after a diplomatic visit to the Middle East.
Responding to a question about Russia accusing the United States of failing to deliver on alleged “agreements” or “understandings” reached in Alaska, Rubio said no such deal existed.
“There was no agreement in Alaska. There was a proposal in Alaska, but there was no agreement in Alaska. If there had been an agreement, we would have had an end to the war,” the U.S. secretary of state said.
According to Rubio, the United States remains ready to play a constructive role in ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, if there is a role for Washington to play.
He stressed that President Donald Trump has been trying for a year and a half to help bring the war to an end — a war that remains bloody and exhausting, first and foremost for Ukraine, and increasingly for Russia as well.
Rubio also said the war is costing tens of thousands of soldiers’ lives every month, most of them Russian, according to him.
The U.S. secretary of state emphasized that Washington is ready to help the parties move closer to a lasting end to the war, but there was no agreement between the United States and Russia in Anchorage.
“A proposal was made in Alaska. But it was never an agreement by Russia or by the United States,” Rubio said.
He also referred to Moscow’s publicly reported demands, including Russia’s claim to the entire territory of Donetsk Oblast.
Rubio’s remarks came after his diplomatic visit to the Middle East. During the trip, the U.S. secretary of state discussed with Gulf partners a potential temporary agreement between the United States and Iran, as well as regional security, energy stability and maritime security.
Separately, Rubio said the United States would not support any fees or “payments” for the use of international waterways, including strategically important straits.
