Washington, August 18 (HS):U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that a lasting resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war will be difficult to secure, even as Washington continues to push for possible avenues to peace.

In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Rubio said, “If peace proves impossible and the war drags on indefinitely, thousands more lives will continue to be lost. We don’t want to see it head in that direction, but, unfortunately, it remains a real possibility.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to arrive in Washington on Monday for high-level talks with European leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump. The visit comes on the heels of Trump’s latest conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, which fueled speculation of renewed behind-the-scenes negotiations.

Sources suggest that during the Trump-Putin exchange, discussions touched on potential territorial compromises — including Russia relinquishing small occupied zones in exchange for Ukraine conceding parts of heavily fortified eastern regions, along with broader efforts to stabilize the frontlines.

Rubio stressed that any serious peace deal would inevitably involve mutual concessions from both Kyiv and Moscow, while raising critical issues such as long-term security guarantees.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar