Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes the “only way” the war in Ukraine ends is with President Trump — whom he described as a “lover of peace” — sitting across the table from Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will decide on a possible timeline for a meeting between Trump and Putin, which he described as “the only way we’re going to have a breakthrough” in the war.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet in Istanbul on Friday for their first peace talks in more than three years as both sides come under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.