Rubio calls Russia-Ukraine talks productive, urges Europe to join peace negotiations

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi "very productive" and urged European countries to join peace negotiations. He spoke in Paris after the first day of a G7 foreign ministers' meeting. Rubio said Washington wants to expand the trilateral format of Russia, Ukraine, and the US to include European partners, rejecting claims Europe was being sidelined. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed partial dissatisfaction with the current arrangement but called it a reasonable temporary step. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said discussions covered security guarantees, prisoner releases, and de-escalation steps. The talks are part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.