Rubio: Ukraine and Russia open to limited grain and energy ceasefire

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ukraine and Russia have expressed interest in a limited ceasefire covering grain and energy issues, following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Rubio noted that such an agreement would not resolve the war overall but could potentially ease global pressure stemming from its consequences. The U.S. delegation included State Department officials, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, and Deputy National Security Advisor Mike Needham, while Russia was represented by its UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya and Ambassador to the U.S. Alexander Darchiev. The comments come amid U.S. pressure on Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, with President Trump citing global fuel market impacts. Ukrainian President Zelensky has signaled readiness for a mutual energy ceasefire, conditional on Russia stopping attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure and food exports.