Russia-Ukraine war a ‘stalemate,’ Rubio says

Politico reports that Rubio, telling reporters in Portugal[1], said the Trump administration does not believe a military solution will end the conflict[1]. "Stalemates are very dangerous," Rubio said[1], according to the outlet.RFE/RL reports that Rubio spoke in Lisbon on the final stop of a three-country swing through NATO allies Iceland, Greece, and Portugal[2]. According to RFE/RL, he said such a stalemate generally ends either through negotiations or escalation[2].Ukrainska Pravda, in a report carried by Yahoo News, quotes Rubio as saying, "Right now, there don't seem to be prospects of a negotiated settlement."[3] The outlet says he blamed the stalled talks on Russia demanding full control of the Donbas and Ukraine refuses to accept it[3].Reuters quotes Rubio as saying the United States "stands ready to facilitate"[4] a settlement but is "not going to invest in pointless processes if we can't make progress"[4].According to Reuters, Ukrainian negotiators [are] set to visit the US for talks on Friday and Saturday.[5]RFE/RL reports that his remarks came as a Russian strike on two buses in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk killed at least 33 people on October 8, according to local authorities.[2]Politico quotes Rubio as saying he hopes "the risk of escalation is one of the things that will bring both sides to the table"[1].