Control of Donetsk is ‘one remaining item’ in Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations, Rubio says

By Timothy Nerozzi

Published January 28, 2026 3:38pm ET

Negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine have stumbled over the question of which country will have sovereignty over Donetsk.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the future of the Ukrainian oblast is one of the few remaining hurdles in the negotiations, which he described as a “fluid situation” and “moving very quickly.”