Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy today, discussing the March 2 leaders’ summit on Ukraine hosted by the UK. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Rubio thanked Lammy for Britain’s efforts to push Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defense and to advocate for peace in Ukraine.

The call follows the meting on February 27 amid the President Trump’s bilat with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Rubio confirmed that the United States is prepared to negotiate an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and emphasized Washington’s continued coordination with London in pursuit of a peace settlement.

The call underscores a growing transatlantic effort to recalibrate Western strategy on Ukraine, with the UK pushing for European self-sufficiency in security and the U.S. signaling a willingness to explore diplomatic solutions to the war.

Earlier today NSA Mike Waltz said the US welcomes Europeans taking a lead in European security. “That’s been an underpinning. They have to invest in the capability to do that.”

WASHINGTON D.C., USA – February 4, 2025: United States National Security Adviser Michael Waltz speak to the press outside the White House.[ Editorial credit: noamgalai / Shutterstock.com]

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz echoed this sentiment earlier in the day, saying the United States welcomes European leadership in regional security, particularly from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.

“Last week before Friday, we also had the NATO Secretary General on the phone with the President, before President Zelenskyy came in. So we welcome Europe stepping up for Europe, but they have to also invest in the capabilities to do so, and all of that was evident and repeatedly communicated with the Ukrainians before Friday,” he said.

Despite the diplomatic coordination, frustration lingers within former President Donald Trump’s camp. According to Waltz, Zelenskyy’s reaction during his White House visit to sign the rare minerals agreement came as a surprise.

“He could have then left with an economic guarantee that would have benefited Ukraine and, I think, the world for a generation,” noted Waltz. “So it’s really confounding to us why we had such hostility.”

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Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Pavlovic Today. Credentialed at the White House, the U.S. Senate Press Gallery and the State Department. Pavlovic was a Teaching Fellow and Doctoral Fellow in the Political...