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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held high stakes talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida Sunday, as the United States pushes to end Russia's war against its neighbour.The negotiations come as Kyiv faces mounting military and political pressure, along with the fallout from a corruption scandal. They could set the stage for next week's visit to Moscow by President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who is expected to discuss Ukraine diplomacy."This is not just about peace deals. It's about creating a pathway forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent and prosperous," Rubio said at the start of the negotiations.Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were also attending the meeting in Hallandale Beach, north of Miami.Ukraine's security council secretary Rustem Umerov led Kyiv's delegation, which also included Andrii Hnatov, the chief of staff of Ukraine's armed forces, and presidential adviser Oleksandr Bevz."We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine," Umerov said as the talks kicked off.The US talks come amid turbulence for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government. A blockbuster corruption probe forced him to sack his chief of staff and top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, on Friday.Rubio had met with Yermak only a week ago during another round of talks in Geneva that both sides hailed as "constructive."In a separate post on the platform X, Umerov said he was in "constant contact" with Zelensky as the Florida meeting progressed."We have clear directives and priorities: safeguarding Ukrainian interests, ensuring substantive dialogue, and advancing on the basis of the progress achieved in Geneva," Umerov wrote."We are working to secure real peace for Ukraine and reliable, long-term security guarantees. The delegation will report to the president of Ukraine following the conclusion of today's meetings."Washington has put forward a plan to end the nearly four-year conflict and is seeking to finalise it with Moscow and Kyiv's approval.An initial 28-point proposal -- drafted without input from Ukraine's European allies -- would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.The United States pared back the original draft following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but the current contents remain unclear.After the Florida negotiations, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host Zelensky for talks in Paris today.Separately next week, Rubio is set to skip a meeting of Nato foreign ministers despite allies' concerns about the US plan for Ukraine. However, Witkoff is expected in Moscow to discuss Ukraine diplomacy.The flurry of diplomacy comes as the war — which has killed tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel and displaced millions of Ukrainians — shows no sign of easing.Ahead of the Florida talks, Russia's forces targeted Ukraine's capital and the region for two nights in a row as they advanced on the front line.A drone attack in the outskirts of Kyiv killed one person and wounded 11 on Saturday night, the regional governor said.Hours earlier, a Ukrainian security source said Kyiv was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea that it believed were covertly transporting sanctioned Russian oil.One of Russia's largest oil terminals halted operations on Saturday following an attack by sea drones.The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a group that includes US oil majors Chevron and ExxonMobil and which owns the terminal, called the strike a "terrorist attack".Ukraine, which did not comment on the incident, regularly targets Russian energy facilities in a bid to sap the country's war chest as the conflict grinds through its fourth year.The CPC pipeline, which begins in Kazakhstan and ends at the terminal, is a major conduit for Kazakh oil and one of the world's largest by volume, handling around one percent of global supplies. 

A meeting between US and Ukrainian officials in Florida Sunday was "very productive," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that work still remains towards ending Russia's war in Ukraine."There are a lot of moving parts, and obviously there's another party involved here that will have to be a part of the equation, and that will continue later this week, when Mr. Witkoff travels to Moscow, although we've also been in touch in varying degrees with the Russian side, but we have a pretty good understanding of their views as well," Rubio told reporters.Rubio Sunday hosted high stakes talks with a Ukrainian delegation on Washington's plan to end Russia's war with its neighbour -- discussions a source close to Kyiv's team characterized as "not easy."The talks in Florida come as Kyiv faces mounting military and political pressure, along with the fallout from a corruption scandal. They could set the stage for next week's visit to Moscow by President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, who is expected to discuss Ukraine diplomacy."This is not just about peace deals. It's about creating a pathway forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent and prosperous," Rubio said at the start of the negotiations.Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were also attending the meeting in Hallandale Beach, north of Miami.Ukraine's security council secretary Rustem Umerov led Kyiv's delegation, which also included Andrii Hnatov, the chief of staff of Ukraine's armed forces, and presidential adviser Oleksandr Bevz."We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine," Umerov said as the talks kicked off.A source close to the Kyiv delegation, however, cautioned that "the process is not easy because the search for formulations and solutions continues." The exchanges had nevertheless been "constructive," the source said.The US talks come amid turbulence for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government. A blockbuster corruption probe forced him to sack his chief of staff and top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, on Friday.Washington has put forward a plan to end the nearly four-year conflict and is seeking to finalize it with Moscow and Kyiv's approval.An initial 28-point proposal -- drafted without input from Ukraine's European allies -- would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognize the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.The United States pared back the original draft following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but the current contents remain unclear. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel's moves to annex the West Bank threaten the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. In response to the Knesset's preliminary approval of two bills aimed at imposing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and one of the settlements, Rubio added that this would threaten President Donald Trump's plan to end the conflict in Gaza. Regarding Trump's announcement of the cancellation of a summit scheduled to be held with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Rubio confirmed that the United States still wants to hold meetings with Russia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Washington with his Liberian counterpart Sara Beysolow Nyanti to discuss deepening US-Liberia bilateral relations and expanding US commercial engagement in Liberia.  In a statement, the US State Department said that Rubio and Nyanti explored avenues for expanding US participation in Liberia's critical minerals sector with the aim of creating jobs and economic growth in both the United States and Liberia.

Israel needs to stop bombing Gaza for an eventual hostage release by Palestinian resistance group Hamas to take place, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday."I think the Israelis and everyone acknowledge you can't release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop," Rubio told CBS News talk show "Face the Nation.""There can't be a war going on in the middle of it."In a text exchange with a CNN reporter released Sunday, US President Donald Trump said "yes" when asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with ending the military campaign in Gaza.Negotiators from Israel and Hamas were set to hold talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh Monday.Rubio, who appeared on several Sunday talk shows to speak about the situation in Gaza, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that there were "logistical challenges" to address to pave the way for the hostage release.He also predicted that the longer-term goals would be "even harder" to attain, in terms of how the war-ravaged territory will be governed and disarming fighters."You can't set up a government structure in Gaza that's not Hamas in three days. I mean, it takes some time," Rubio told NBC.Hamas on Sunday called for a swift start to a hostage-prisoner exchange with Israel, as negotiators from both sides prepared to meet in Egypt for crucial talks aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza.Foreign ministers from several countries, including Egypt, said the talks were a "real opportunity" to achieve a sustainable ceasefire."Hamas is very keen to reach an agreement to end the war and immediately begin the prisoner exchange process in accordance with the field conditions," a senior Hamas official told AFP on condition of anonymity.The diplomatic push follows Hamas's positive response to US President Donald Trump's roadmap for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli delegation would be departing for Egypt on Monday.Cairo confirmed it would be hosting a delegation from Hamas for discussions on "the ground conditions and details of the exchange of all Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners".The White House said Trump had also sent two envoys to Egypt -- his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East negotiator Steve Witkoff."During communications with mediators, Hamas insisted that it is essential for Israel to halt military operations across all areas of the Gaza Strip, cease all air, reconnaissance, and drone activity, and withdraw from inside Gaza City," a Palestinian source close to Hamas said, adding the group would "also halt their military operations" in parallel.According to Trump's plan, in return for the hostages, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from the Gaza Strip who were arrested during the war.Trump has warned he will "not tolerate delay" from Hamas, urging the group to move quickly towards a deal "or else all bets will be off".Israel, meanwhile, has continued to carry out strikes.AFPTV footage showed thick smoke billowing over the skyline of the coastal territory Sunday.Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli attacks killed at least 20 people across the territory, 13 of them in Gaza City.The US plan, endorsed by Netanyahu, calls for a halt to hostilities, the release of hostages within 72 hours, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas's disarmament -- something the group has frequently described as a red line in the past.Under the proposal, administration of the territory would be taken up by a technocratic body overseen by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 67,139 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the trilateral relationship between the United States, South Korea, and Japan is "critical" for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, as he held talks with his Asian counterparts in New York. Rubio made the remarks in a post on social media following a three-way meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. "Our trilateral partnership is critical to promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and to advancing economic and security cooperation," Rubio wrote on X. The talks came as Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo continue to deepen cooperation amid North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programs.

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to reaffirm America’s full support for Qatar’s security and sovereignty following Israel’s strike in Doha.The Secretary will convey appreciation for Qatar’s invaluable role mediating between Israel and Hamas. He will also discuss U.S. and Qatar’s shared commitment to regional stability, ending the war in Gaza.

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar discussed recent regional and international developments with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to Radio Pakistan, the discussion took place during a phone call received last night by the Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister from the US Secretary of State last night. During the call, both sides expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-US ties and discussed recent regional and international developments. They also reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations across multifaceted areas.

US President Donald Trump's top diplomat, Marco Rubio reiterated Saturday that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about Israel's strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar."There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want," Rubio told reporters.Israel’s nearly two-year-long campaign has killed more than 64,000 people in the Palestinian enclave, according to local authorities. It has sparked a hunger crisis and led to allegations that Israel is committing genocide, including this month by the world's biggest group of genocide scholars.Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives' release from Gaza.On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar's Prime Minister HE Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the White House.Later this month, countries including France and Britain are expected to recognise Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met with US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington Friday.The meeting addressed the close strategic relations between Qatar and the US of America and ways to advance them, in addition to discussing developments in the region.During the meeting, Vance affirmed his solidarity with Qatar, noting that diplomatic solutions are capable of resolving outstanding issues in the region.He appreciated Qatar's tireless mediation efforts and its effective role in bringing peace to the region, emphasising that Qatar is a reliable strategic ally of the US .For his part, HE Sheikh Mohammed affirmed that Qatar will take all measures to protect its security and safeguard its sovereignty in the face of the blatant Israeli attack.He expressed Qatar's appreciation for its close partnership with the US and its support for Qatar's sovereignty and its efforts to achieve peace in the region.