Rubio says US ready to mediate as Moscow steps up Ukraine threats
Local residents walk by a damaged shopping center following Russian strikes in Kiev on May 25, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday Washington remained ready to mediate in the war between Russia and Ukraine, after Moscow threatened new strikes on Kiev.
Russia's warning, including a call for foreign diplomats to flee the Ukrainian capital, marks a fresh escalation in the more than four-year war, with Moscow vowing "systematic" attacks on Kiev, including on "decision-making centres".
Rubio's offer came after Russia battered Ukraine over the weekend — including firing its Oreshnik hypersonic missile — and following a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
