US secretary of state hinted that EU should lift sanctions against Russia if peace is reached

Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, noted that the resolution of the Russo-Ukrainian war must occur with the agreement of all parties. He also hinted that this could serve as grounds for the EU to lift sanctions against Russia.

Rubio reiterated at a press conference following a meeting with the Russian delegation in Riyadh that "in order to bring an end to any conflict, there has to be concessions made by all sides", but it would be wrong to "predetermine those". 

He also stated that all parties must agree to the terms of the future settlement.

"What’s important to understand is two things. The first is that the only leader in the world who can make this happen, who can even bring people together to begin to talk about it in a serious way, is President Trump. 

The second thing I would say is that in order for a conflict to end, everyone involved in that conflict has to be okay with it – it has to be acceptable to them," Rubio said.

Rubio hinted at the EU's further role, saying that "there are other parties that have sanctions, the European Union is going to have to be at the table at some point, because they have sanctions as well that have been imposed."

"The goal is to bring an end to this conflict in a way that’s fair, enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all parties involved. What does that look like? Well, that’s what this ongoing engagement is going to be all about," he added. 

The US and Russian delegations, during a meeting in Riyadh, agreed to "address irritants to bilateral relationship" and continue to work on preparing talks on Russia's war against Ukraine.

The US and Russia propose a three-stage peace plan that includes a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine, and then the signing of a final agreement.