New US secretary of state discusses war in Ukraine with UK foreign secretary

US Secretary of State Mark Rubio has held a phone conversation with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, during which one of the topics discussed was Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

During the conversation, Rubio and Lammy expressed their readiness to immediately begin joint efforts to achieve numerous shared foreign policy goals.

"They affirmed the depth of the US-UK Special Relationship and the crucial nature of our partnership in addressing issues like the conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s war against Ukraine and China’s malign influence," the statement by the US Department of State reads.

Rubio and Lammy also highlighted shared initiatives, including the AUKUS partnership, which promotes the creation of a free, open, safe and stable Indo-Pacific.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, US Secretary of State Mark Rubio stated that reaching a ceasefire agreement would require concessions from both Moscow and Kyiv and he suggested that Ukraine might have to abandon its goal of reclaiming all the territory seized by Russia over the past decade.

Rubio called "the advancement of our national interests" the key mission for the US Department of State.