“Oh, I thought you were introducing yourself as Vladimir Putin,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio joked with a reporter, setting a light tone before turning serious on Ukraine peace talks. Rubio said statements alone do not determine peace, stressing that real progress depends on what Russia and Ukraine are willing to agree to at the negotiating table. He said the United States is not forcing a deal on either side but is trying to identify possible overlap between positions. Rubio emphasized that no peace agreement can happen without consent from both Kyiv and Moscow, while reaffirming President Trump’s commitment to ending a costly and destructive war.