Rubio sees no Ukraine peace deal before spring 2027, rules out near-term NATO membership

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told counterparts at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta that he does not expect Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to any negotiated settlement over Ukraine before spring 2027, according to three senior European officials cited in reporting from the summit.

Rubio also characterised near-term Ukrainian accession to NATO as unrealistic as a security guarantee, saying Moscow would never consent to Kyiv's membership.

At a press briefing, Rubio said he did not know "if negotiated peace is achievable in Ukraine," explaining that this was what they were trying to find out, pushing back on any suggestion of an imminent accord. He added that he did not think "anyone here is claiming that we are on the verge of a negotiated settlement."

The secretary of state expressed scepticism that Putin would travel to the US for the G20 leaders' summit in Miami on 14–15 December, despite a White House invitation. Separately, President Donald Trump confirmed at his Mar-a-Lago estate that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could be invited to the Miami summit as well.

Rubio framed the conflict as fundamentally centred on the Donbas — "about 11 percent of one part of that country" — and argued that neither side can achieve an absolute military victory. He said Washington was willing to play a mediating role if both parties engage directly.

Zelensky has said Ukraine is prepared to freeze combat lines but will never legally recognise occupied territories as Russian soil. He noted that Russian forces currently occupy 19.3 percent of Ukraine.