Trump-Putin meeting tied to progress on ending Ukraine War

Rubio said he discussed such a meeting when he met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, telling Lavrov and Russian officials: "There isn't going to be a meeting until we know what the meeting is going to be about."

"I think when that meeting happens will largely depend on whether we can make any progress on ending the war in Ukraine," Rubio told journalist Catherine Herridge in an interview broadcast on X.

Following the talks in Saudi Arabia, Trump - who spoke on the phone with Putin last week - said on Tuesday that he would probably meet with Putin before the end of the month. Rubio said: "I don't know the timing of it."

Rubio said Trump wants to know if Russia is serious about ending the war in Ukraine, triggered by Moscow's invasion of its neighbour three years ago.