US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is still prepared to play a mediating role in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, but acknowledged that current peace talks are stalled and have produced no results. Speaking to reporters on Friday, May 22, Rubio said the United States became involved in the negotiations because it was seen as the only party both Kyiv and Moscow would engage with.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The peace negotiations on Ukraine under American leadership... we got involved, because we were told we were the only ones that could do it. We were the only ones that the Russians and the Ukrainians would talk to,” Rubio said. He added that the process has so far failed to deliver progress. “They were not fruitful, unfortunately, that’s the point. We stand ready to continue to play that role,” he said. Rubio rejected reports suggesting the US had pressured either side into specific positions. “Despite leaks that are not true, despite stories out there about us forcing the Ukrainians to take this position or that position, which are not true,” he said. He stressed that Washington remains open to facilitating future negotiations if conditions improve. “If we see an opportunity to pull together talks that are productive, not counterproductive, and that have the chance to be fruitful, we’re prepared to play that role,” Rubio said, adding that “there are no such talks occurring at this time.”