Rubio: Russia and Ukraine Both Want a 'Limited Ceasefire' on Grain and Energy
After meeting Sergei Lavrov in New York, the American secretary of state said both sides had shown interest in a narrow truce: “I think both sides have expressed an interest in some limited ceasefire that involve grain and energy. Obviously, you know, that won’t be easy either.” Mr Zelensky put a maritime offer on the table first — “We are waiting for Russia’s response… We have to start somewhere” — while the Kremlin said no basis for wider talks exists.
This is the first time Washington has described a Russian appetite for any ceasefire, however narrow, and the chosen subjects are revealing: grain, because Black Sea wheat has become a global price problem for importers across Asia, the Middle East and Africa; energy, because both armies now aim at the other’s power system. Mr Rubio conceded the difficulty himself, noting energy strikes sit at the core of both countries’ tactical priorities. Moscow has offered nothing publicly, and gave none today. The test is not whether a truce is discussed in New York but whether Russian drones stop before winter. Watch for a Russian answer on the Black Sea proposal.