Zelenskyy Tells Rubio Ukraine Is Not in a Diplomatic Deadlock

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed back against U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s description of the war as a strategic stalemate. Speaking in Pryluky, Zelenskyy said countries cannot pursue future economic projects with Russia while claiming diplomacy is at a dead end. He called for stronger economic pressure on Moscow, sanctions on Russian weapons and U.S. assistance to help Ukraine defend its skies, including access to Starlink over Russian territory. Rubio had said negotiations offered no immediate prospect of ending the war.