U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said negotiators at U.S.-mediated talks are actively working to bridge differences over Donetsk, labeling it the central and "very difficult" sticking point in potential Ukraine peace talks. Moscow currently controls about 90% of Donbas, while Kyiv retains roughly 20% of Donetsk (about 5,000 sq km) and refuses to cede territory it still holds. The U.S. may participate in follow-up talks, though President Trump's envoys will not, and reports say Washington has linked security guarantees to Ukraine signing a peace deal.
Rubio: Donetsk Remains a 'Very Difficult' Sticking Point as U.S.-Mediated Ukraine Talks Continue
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing titled "U.S. Policy Towards Venezuela", on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 28, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that negotiators at U.S.-mediated talks aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine are actively working to reconcile the territorial dispute over Donetsk, calling it the central remaining issue and "very difficult" to resolve.
Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that negotiators have narrowed the agenda to a single core disagreement: the fate of territory in Donetsk that Kyiv still controls. "It's still a bridge we have to cross. It's still a gap, but at least we've been able to narrow down the issue set to one central one, and it will probably be a very difficult one," he said.
Why Donetsk Is So Contentious
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted Russia will seize the entire Donbas region by force unless Kyiv cedes it in a peace settlement. Moscow's forces now control roughly 90% of Donbas, and Donetsk is one of its provinces. Putin has characterized parts of Donetsk as part of Russia's "historical lands."
Kyiv has rejected the idea of gifting territory that Russia has failed to capture on the battlefield. Polls indicate little appetite among Ukrainians for territorial concessions, and Kyiv officials have repeatedly said they will not surrender areas they still hold — roughly 20% of Donetsk, about 5,000 sq km (1,900 sq miles).
U.S. Role And Follow-Up Talks
Rubio said there might be a U.S. presence at follow-up discussions, though he clarified that President Donald Trump's senior envoys who attended the last round in Abu Dhabi — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — will not participate in the next sessions. The previous talks included a rare face-to-face engagement between Russian and Ukrainian officials but ended without a deal; both sides said they remained open to further dialogue.
The senator also addressed security guarantees for Ukraine, saying that from the U.S. side such guarantees could be considered agreed in principle, but any formal guarantees would be contingent on an end to the conflict and the broader dynamics with Russia. The Financial Times has reported that Washington told Kyiv it must sign onto a peace deal with Russia to receive U.S. security guarantees.
Key quote: "Any security guarantees would come into play after the conflict would end," Rubio said, noting the complex Russian dynamic in negotiations.
The situation remains fluid. U.S. and international diplomats continue shuttle diplomacy in hopes of narrowing differences, but the Donetsk question is likely to be among the most politically sensitive and difficult elements to resolve in any potential peace agreement.
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Rod Nickel.
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