US secretary of state Marco Rubio speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany (Picture credit: AP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday questioned Russia’s seriousness about ending the Ukraine war, as Washington pushes for a swift peace deal.Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Rubio said the conflict was approaching its fifth year and that there was still no clarity over Moscow’s willingness to negotiate.“We don’t know if the Russians are serious about ending the war,” he said, as quoted by AFP.His remarks came as fresh US-brokered talks between Russian and Ukrainian envoys are scheduled to take place next week in Geneva.The discussions, confirmed by the Kremlin and by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s communications adviser, are due just days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

War continues amid diplomacy

The diplomatic push comes against the backdrop of continued fighting. Officials said on Saturday that a Russian drone strike on Odesa killed one person after hitting a residential building. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian missile strike killed two people and injured five in the Russian border city of Belgorod.Previous US-led efforts, including two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi, have failed to bridge differences over key issues such as the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region, much of which remains under Russian control.

Reassuring Europe

In Munich, Rubio also sought to calm European concerns about transatlantic ties under President Donald Trump.“We do not seek to separate, but to revitalise an old friendship and renew the greatest civilisation in human history,” he said. “What we want is a reinvigorated alliance.”“We want Europe to be strong. We believe that Europe must survive,” Rubio added, stressing that the US and Europe “belong together”.According to news agency AP, he acknowledged that Washington’s tone may have seemed blunt but said it reflected a demand for “seriousness and reciprocity” from allies. “In a time of headlines heralding the end of the trans-Atlantic era, let it be known and clear to all that this is neither our goal nor our wish,” he said.Rubio also criticised global institutions, saying the United Nations had “played virtually no role” in resolving major conflicts, including the war in Gaza.His speech marked a softer approach compared with last year’s address by US Vice President JD Vance, and came as European leaders called for renewed trust and greater defence responsibility within Nato, with the Ukraine war dominating discussions.