Key facts
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned the Ukraine war stalemate could escalate into a wider regional conflict.
- Rubio stated the war has reached a stalemate, which could end in negotiation or escalation.
- Escalation could include Russian sabotage in neighboring NATO countries, potentially widening the conflict.
- Rubio believes the war requires a negotiated settlement and the US is ready to facilitate diplomacy.
- A Russian strike on October 8 killed at least 33 people in Kramatorsk.
- Rubio called for increased NATO defense spending and cooperation on advanced military technology.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the war in Ukraine has reached a stalemate and could escalate into a broader regional conflict if the deadlock pushes either side toward increasingly dangerous actions. Speaking in Lisbon, Rubio stated that the conflict is "a very dangerous war" that generally ends either through negotiations or escalation.
Rubio cautioned that escalation could involve Russia or Ukraine intensifying the conflict to change the military balance, potentially leading to Russian sabotage in neighboring NATO countries or other actions that could rapidly widen the conflict. "That could ‘quickly turn what is a war between two countries to a much broader, far more dangerous regional conflict,’" he said.