Rubio Stressed Trump Won't Cross Ukraine's Red Lines With Putin: Kallas

Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave assurances that the U.S. will not make concessions to Russia's Vladimir Putin that cross the red lines of Ukraine and Europe, the European Union's (EU) High Representative Kaja Kallas said.

Rubio is in Brussels for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Kallas was asked if Rubio had given such assurances in his discussions with European NATO allies so far.

"It was stressed that nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, and of course Ukraine and Europe need to be agreeing to whatever is discussed because this is all happening in Europe," Kallas told reporters on Friday morning.

"So, yes, he was giving us assurances about this."

A State Department spokesperson told Newsweek the U.S. is working to advance a negotiated end to the war because the "death and destruction must stop".

"We're committed to continuing our work with Russia and Ukraine to bring them to the negotiating table.  Negotiations will require both countries to make tough decisions and compromises," the spokesperson said.

"Until recently, it was inconceivable to expect a partial ceasefire in this conflict.  We have made significant progress toward peace. A lot of work remains to be done, and we're committed to trying to achieve peace as long as it takes."

They added: "The Secretary is in frequent contact with his European counterparts about their efforts to support Ukraine."

Ukraine's Red Lines

Ukraine has said no decisions on its future should be made without it, using the refrain "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine". Its European allies uphold that policy, and so did the U.S. under the Biden Administration.

For Ukraine, another red line is recognizing Moscow's sovereignty over territory it has taken from Kyiv, as is setting any limits on the size of its armed forces, or restricting Kyiv's ability to join international groups such as the EU.

U.S. President Donald Trump has made ending Russia's war on Ukraine an urgent priority of his administration, which is brokering ceasefire agreements he hopes will lead to a full peace deal.

But there is nervousness among American allies that Trump is too sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and so willing to compromise on more than they are comfortable with to swiftly end a war he says costs U.S. taxpayers too much.

Rubio Reassures NATO—With a Condition

While in Brussels, Rubio has sought to reassure American allies that the U.S. remains committed to the NATO alliance, despite previous suggestions by Trump that he would be willing to withdraw.

But Rubio warned that ongoing American support is conditional on all allies increasing their defense spending to meet the growing challenges on the continent.

"The United States is in NATO ... As we speak right now, the United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been," Rubio told reporters as he entered the meeting in Brussels on Thursday morning.

"And some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media and some domestic media in the United States about NATO is unwarranted. President Trump has made clear he supports NATO. We're gonna remain in NATO. He's made clear," Rubio added.

The secretary of state said he wanted to leave the NATO meeting with a "real" commitment from all allies to raise their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP over time, even if it means Europeans cutting back on social welfare spending.

"No one expects that you're going to be able to do this in one year or two—but the pathway has to be real. This is a hard truth, but it's a basic one that needs to be said now," Rubio said.

It comes at an awkward moment, however. The EU has said it will largely exclude American and other non-EU arms makers from its defense procurement under a new rearming initiative, a move U.S. officials, including Rubio, said is unacceptable.

Ongoing Talks in Russia-Ukraine War

The U.S. continues talks with Russia and Ukraine to firm up agreed ceasefires in the Black Sea and against energy infrastructure. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of striking energy targets since agreeing to stop.

More talks are due to take place in Saudi Arabia between the three parties, and there are reports that Trump and Putin will speak again soon by phone, which would signal some progress in negotiations.

However, reconciling Russia's and Ukraine's demands to secure a peace deal remains a difficult task, given the gulfs between both sides on issues such as the future of Ukrainian security and disputed territory.

Update, 4/4/25, 3:05 p.m. ET: A comment by a State Department spokesperson was added.