US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told senators Wednesday that Donetsk's territorial status remains the central unresolved issue in US-mediated talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine, calling the disagreement "very difficult" to resolve.
"It's still a bridge we have to cross. It's still a gap, but at least we've been able to narrow down the issue set to one central one, and it will probably be a very difficult one," Rubio said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, according to Reuters.
The statement comes as negotiations continue following talks in Abu Dhabi on 23-24 January that brought together Ukrainian, Russian, and US representatives. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Sybiha described those discussions as "very difficult" but noted a shift in Russia's approach, saying Moscow sent different negotiators who dropped "pseudo-historical lectures" for more focused conversations.
Putin has demanded Ukraine surrender the 20% it still controls of Donetsk—about 5,000 square kilometers—which Moscow has failed to capture militarily despite controlling 90% of the broader Donbas Oblast. The Russian president has repeatedly stated Russia will take all of Donbas by force unless Kyiv cedes it in a peace deal, calling Donetsk part of Russia's "historical lands." Most countries recognize Donetsk as part of Ukraine.
Kyiv has rejected gifting Russia territory it has not won on the battlefield, with polls showing little Ukrainian public support for territorial concessions.
Rubio indicated a US presence may continue in follow-up talks but said Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who participated in the Abu Dhabi round, will not attend future sessions. A US official said more discussions were expected 1 February in Abu Dhabi. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed negotiations could occur that day.
The negotiations have taken an unusual structure. Sybiha explained Ukraine will sign a 20-point peace plan with the United States, while Russia will separately sign the same document with Washington. "There will be no European signature, but Europe is present in the peace process and in security guarantee agreements," Sybiha said.
On security guarantees, Rubio told senators, "I think you could argue they're agreed to from our side of the equation. There's obviously a Russian dynamic at play here. And of course, any security guarantees would come into play after the conflict would end."
The Financial Times reported Tuesday that Washington told Ukraine it must accept a peace deal with Russia to receive US security guarantees. Sybiha said those guarantees are expected to be ratified by the US Congress. American troops will not be stationed in Ukraine, according to the foreign minister, though some European partners are prepared to deploy forces contingent on American "backstop" support.
Ukraine's security framework also includes developing domestic air defense and long-range weapons production capabilities, as well as EU membership, which Sybiha described as part of the security system and a guarantee for future investments.
The Ukrainian delegation reported to Zelenskyy that the Abu Dhabi meeting addressed military issues necessary to end the war, along with what officials called "complex political issues that remain unresolved."
Kyiv is under mounting pressure from the Trump administration to make concessions to end Europe's deadliest and most destructive conflict since World War Two, triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion.
