WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday told reporters Ukraine will have to cede land as part of a peace deal with Russia.

Rubio’s comments came just as he was preparing to travel to talks with Ukrainian officials taking place on Tuesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there’s no military solution to this situation,” he said.

The secretary explained America can’t allow Russia to, “[…] conquer all of Ukraine. […] It’ll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014.”

Rubio was referencing land that Russia had annexed 11 years ago. His statement seemed to indicate he will push for Ukraine to relinquish control of these territories that have been in dispute for years. Those areas are not part of the current conflict, which saw Russia invade in 2022 and attempt to take more land from the small country.

He emphasized the need for both sides to make concessions, saying, “There with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things to end this conflict or at least pause it in some way, shape or form.”

The talks come just weeks after an explosive meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Trump asked Zelensky to leave the White House after tensions boiled over in front of the media inside the Oval Office, and a planned press conference to sign a minerals deal was canceled. Zelensky later softened his stance on the negotiations and indicated he would sign the mineral agreement.

Rubio said he hopes talks in Saudi Arabia will go well. He indicated the United States may be willing to resume military assistance to Ukraine if the country’s envoys convincingly demonstrate an eagerness to reach peace. Meanwhile, in an attempt to calm concerns that the administration is playing too far into Russia’s hand, the president has threatened major sanctions if Moscow continues to bombard Ukraine.