President Donald Trump promised to stop the Ukraine-Russia war shortly after taking office, but it’s been almost a year since he was sworn in, and the war rages on.

There have been several starts and stops in this latest round of peace talks, including allegations that special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, was pro-Russia and coached his Russian counterpart on how to woo Trump.

Enter: Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The former Russia hawk has been in peace talks, which both sides say have been productive, with Ukrainian officials in Geneva and Miami. The new deal is reportedly more favorable to Ukraine than the original 28-point plan that was introduced.

So, can Marco Rubio bring about an end to this war? Today, Explained co-host Astead Herndon asked Washington Post reporter John Hudson just what kind of role Rubio is playing here.

Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full episode, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and

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