On 14 May, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held a meeting in Antalya, Türkiye, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sides exchanged views on peaceful settlement strategies and mapped out further steps.
Sybiha stated:
“I met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham in Antalya to convey President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s vision on peace efforts and to coordinate positions during this critically important week.”
He also highlighted the discussion of the “logic of next steps” and Ukrainian approaches to a peace settlement.
Sybiha emphasized the necessity for Russia to respond in kind to Ukraine’s constructive moves:
“So far, it hasn’t. Moscow must realize that rejecting peace comes at a cost.”
He also expressed appreciation for the United States’ involvement and confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to build cooperation on “constructive and mutually beneficial” grounds. Additionally, he voiced Ukraine’s “commitment to President Trump’s peace efforts.”
According to an earlier statement from Ukraine’s MFA, Sybiha has been in Antalya at the invitation of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The visit aimed to coordinate diplomatic efforts with partners toward a “just peace.”
Rubio arrived in Antalya for NATO consultations
Forbes reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Antalya on the evening of 14 May to attend an informal NATO foreign ministers’ meeting. The agenda includes alliance-wide security priorities, calls for increased defense spending by member states, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
On 15 May, NATO ministers discussed a US proposal calling for allies to raise defense spending to 5% of their GDP within seven years. Rubio stated, “The alliance is only as strong as its weakest link,” stressing that the investment should target capabilities required for 21st-century threats.
