US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a guarded assessment of efforts to end the war in Ukraine after two days of G20 foreign ministers’ talks in Atlanta. He said Washington remained engaged but was not in a position to claim that an agreement was close.

Radio Svoboda (svoboda.org) reported on Monday, November 2, that European officials also heard Rubio privately question whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend the G20 summit planned for December in Miami. No participation by Putin had been announced or confirmed.

Rubio defended continued US engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv, arguing that negotiations require channels to each side. He also cited Russia’s nuclear arsenal as a reason to preserve some level of communication, regardless of the broader state of bilateral relations.

While expressing little confidence in a comprehensive settlement soon, Rubio pointed to a Black Sea ceasefire as a narrower diplomatic objective. The Atlanta gathering ended without a consensus statement as members remained divided over Ukraine, the Middle East, trade and maritime security.