Rubio tries to calm European allies in private after Washington's rapprochement with Moscow

After meeting with Russian negotiators to discuss ending the war with Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio privately sought to reassure European allies, explaining the motive behind Washington's rapprochement with Moscow.

After publicly mentioning "the incredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians," Rubio coordinated a call hours later with European diplomats to reassure them that there is no reset or radical change in U.S. policy toward Russia, as many in Europe fear.

According to a revelation by the New York Times, during the call, Rubio explained that the talks this week in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, were merely a first step in assessing whether the Kremlin is really ready and willing to negotiate a deal.

According to the NYT, European diplomats were confused about Rubio's explanations, which came at a time of heightened concern in the "Old World." 

According to European officials, Rubio said that the Trump administration has no intention of imposing the terms of an agreement with Russia on either Ukraine or Europe. He also assured that Washington will not lift sanctions against Russia without the Kremlin first demonstrating a significant change in its behavior.

Rubio made clear, however, that Washington could move forward with a partial lifting of sanctions if Russia begins to move in the direction the White House wants.

During the call, the secretary of state also reportedly said that the White House recognizes that the Kremlin may be trying, through negotiations, to weaken the West by dividing allies.

The NYT report, which is based on the summary by European officials, comes at a heated moment after President Trump labeled his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, as a "dictator without elections" after the latter accused the U.S. leader of spreading disinformation about the Russia-Ukraine war.

Following Zelensky's remarks, Trump lashed out harshly against Kiev's positions on the conflict, questioning complaints about not having a place in the mega-negotiation with Washington and Moscow.

“I hear that they’re upset about not having a seat,” Trump said on Tuesday, speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, his estate in Florida. “Just a half-baked negotiator could have settled this years ago without, I think, without the loss of much land, very little land. Without the loss of any lives.”

According to the NYT, despite Trump's statements, Rubio adopted a more conciliatory tone with European allies, explaining that the talks in Riyadh were more geared toward bilateral talks between Washington and Moscow and, therefore, Ukraine and Europe had no place at the negotiating tables.

Rubio insisted that if the talks prosper, the fact could be interpreted as a real sign that the Kremlin wants to resolve the war with Ukraine. But all that remains to be seen.