Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Rubio warns Ukraine war stalemate is 'very dangerous'
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia and Ukraine are in a “very dangerous” stalemate and warned that escalation by either side could turn the war into a broader regional conflict.
Rubio made the comments on Thursday during a stopover in Portugal at the end of a tour of Europe. He said the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, appeared to be at an impasse.
“Stalemates are very dangerous,” Rubio said, because either side could be tempted to escalate to try to break the deadlock. He said any escalation between Moscow and Kyiv “could quickly turn what is a war between two countries into a much broader and far more dangerous regional conflict”.
Rubio said there had been attempts to reach a negotiated settlement and that “we will keep trying”.
Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians after 30 people were killed when two buses were blown up in the frontline city of Kramatorsk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack “will not go unanswered”.
Update
Rubio said either side could be tempted to escalate because the war appears to be at a stalemate.
Rubio said there had been attempts to reach a negotiated settlement and that efforts would continue.
Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians after 30 people were killed when two buses were blown up in Kramatorsk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Kramatorsk attack would not go unanswered.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 October 2026 at 13:29:43 UTC.
Update
Rubio warned that one or both sides could escalate to break the impasse.
Rubio said escalation could turn the war into a broader and more dangerous regional conflict.
Rubio made the comments during a stopover in Portugal at the end of a Europe tour.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 October 2026 at 13:17:44 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Responsibility for the Kramatorsk attack is presented as Ukraine's accusation; independent confirmation is not stated.
Whether either side will escalate or whether negotiations will advance remains unresolved.
Source
AFP news report published on .