El secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, expresó este domingo que considera muy probable que Rusia y Ucrania logren un consenso sobre el plan impulsado por Donald Trump que busca el fin de la guerra.

El funcionario hizo estas declaraciones en Ginebra, al concluir una jornada de negociaciones con la delegación ucraniana, encabezada por Andrii Yermak, jefe de gabinete del presidente Volodimir Zelensky.

“Creo que avanzamos de manera notable, y soy muy optimista en que lograremos cerrar un acuerdo en un periodo razonable y muy pronto”, dijo Rubio en conferencia de prensa.

Rubio explicó que durante el encuentro, el equipo negociador norteamericano y los representantes de Ucrania revisaron punto por punto el borrador del plan de paz promovido desde Washington, un esquema con casi una treintena de cláusulas.

”El objetivo era trabajar sobre los puntos aún en discusión, y lo conseguimos de forma significativa”, subrayó el secretario de Estado.

Aunque resaltó la proximidad de un consenso, el funcionario reconoció que existen cuestiones pendientes, pero aclaró que ninguna es insalvable ni significa un bloqueo para la continuación de los contactos.

“Solo se necesita tiempo adicional para abordar algunos detalles, pero la voluntad de avanzar está en ambas delegaciones”, recalcó Rubio, quien también manifestó flexibilidad respecto al calendario para dar respuestas, pese al plazo incierto planteado semanas atrás por el presidente Donald Trump.

Consultado acerca de la posible existencia de propuestas alternativas por parte de aliados europeos –algunos medios anticiparon la circulación de un “contraplan” para modificar demandas como el nivel de desarme ucraniano–, Rubio se abstuvo de hacer valoraciones y señaló que los temas sensibles a la Unión Europea y la OTAN quedan pendientes de discusión directa con esos socios en las próximas rondas.

El secretario de Estado también fue interrogado sobre el papel de Rusia. Precisó que Moscú no participó en la sesión, pero que “sus posiciones han sido tenidas en cuenta, ya que nos han llegado de diversas maneras” a lo largo del proceso de contactos diplomáticos.

Rubio insistió en que cualquier solución debe incorporar garantías claras de seguridad para Ucrania y establecer mecanismos que impidan futuras agresiones.

“Ucrania necesita sentir certeza de que no volverá a ser atacada o puesta en riesgo en el corto y el largo plazo”, enfatizó.

Durante la jornada, la delegación ucraniana también valoró los resultados alcanzados. Yermak y otros representantes comunicaron que la última versión del texto del plan de paz ya recoge la mayoría de las prioridades esenciales de Ucrania, aunque quedan detalles a negociar que serán tratados en sesiones adicionales previstas para los próximos días.

Mientras tanto, desde el ámbito europeo, varios gobiernos solicitaron participar de la siguiente fase del diálogo para asegurar que cualquier fórmula acordada no deje a Kiev en una posición vulnerable frente a posibles demandas rusas.

El presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, y la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, remarcaron en foros internacionales la necesidad de incluir a la Unión Europea en los arreglos finales y de mantener la presión colectiva sobre Moscú.

Rubio concluyó reiterando el espíritu positivo del encuentro: “Ha sido la jornada más productiva en nuestra labor hasta ahora. Lo importante es que el propósito compartido acerca a las partes a una solución realista y estable”.

Las próximas semanas serán clave para convertir los avances técnicos en compromisos políticos definitivos.

El desenlace de las conversaciones determinará el rumbo de la guerra en Ucrania y el alcance de una salida negociada que responda a las exigencias de seguridad de Europa oriental y a las prioridades de Washington y Kiev.

(Con información de EFE y AFP)

A legal fight is brewing over a Maryland county board of elections’ heavy redactions to the voter registration records of an illegal immigrant who served as superintendent of Iowa’s largest school system until he was arrested by federal authorities this year, Fox News Digital has learned.

«This was shocking,» Justin Riemer, CEO and president of the conservative legal group Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE), told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview on Friday. «When I saw the news reporting, and they showed screenshots of the registration applications with all this information redacted, I was just shocked.»

Riemer was reacting to Prince George’s County’s Board of Elections’ recent release of voter registration documents belonging to illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts, which included blacking out Roberts’ sex, whether he checked the citizenship box, his date of birth and other information. The election attorney is representing RITE and conservative research group the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) in their efforts to receive the voter registration documents with fewer redactions. 

Roberts, who is originally from Guyana and first entered the U.S. in 1994, was working as the superintendent of the Des Moines public school district when Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him in September. Roberts was not legally permitted to work in the country after an employment authorization card expired in 2020, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

SCHOOL CHIEF TO SUSPECT: ICE ARREST OF DES MOINES SUPERINTENDENT EXPOSES FAKE DEGREES, DRUG CONVICTIONS

The arrest of an illegal immigrant working in such a high-profile position shocked conservatives and others. Additional details surrounding his lengthy rap sheet surfaced as journalists and other investigators looked into his history. It was soon discovered that he was listed as a registered Democratic voter in Maryland, where he previously lived, and that he had a conviction for reckless driving in 2012, the Department of Homeland Security reported in October. 

The Maryland State Board of Elections previously said Roberts did not vote in elections. 

«I’m an election law expert, not an immigration expert, but it doesn’t take one to see just how… broken the system has been,» Riemer told Fox Digital. «He has multiple criminal charges. He has worked in multiple school districts where, if they were doing the proper citizenship and work authorization checks, this should have been caught. It’s really just unbelievable how this guy has managed to jump around the country, working in school districts where he’s around children.» 

FORMER DES MOINES SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT TAKEN INTO DOJ CUSTODY ON FEDERAL FIREARMS, IMMIGRATION CHARGES

As concern mounted surrounding Roberts, the American Accountability Foundation filed a public records request with Prince George’s County to obtain his voter registration application. The county’s board of elections complied with the request, but redacted key information, sparking what could turn into a legal showdown. 

«The American Accountability Foundation called the county out on it and said, ‘… you’re not allowed to redact this information,’» Riemer said, adding that it’s understandable for the county to redact information such as an individual’s Social Security number or driver’s license number, but not a person’s gender or whether they answered in the affirmative that they are a U.S. citizen.

RITE published copies of the redacted documents, which show 18 black boxes blocking out information across just two pages’ worth of documents. Riemer explained the request was made under the National Voter Registration Act – a federal law that simplified voter registration processes when an eligible individual renews their driver’s license – which includes a provision allowing public access to such records. 

Riemer sent a letter to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections on Tuesday demanding the county turn over the records to his clients with fewer redactions as allowed by law. The election attorney, who previously served as chief counsel to the Republican National Committee, gave the county board until Dec. 1 while noting legal action could be in the future if the election board fails to comply. 

LAWMAKER REVEALS HOW DES MOINES SCHOOLS CHIEF REGISTERED TO VOTE DESPITE ILLEGAL STATUS

Republicans say that illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts being registered to vote in Maryland raises serious concerns about the state’s voting processes. (Keith Srakocic/AP Photo and ICE)

«Please provide my clients with the records no later than Monday, December 1, 2025. If you redact or withhold any portion of the requested records beyond the limited exceptions above, we will immediately follow up with a written notice of your violation of 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i). If you do not remedy such violation within 90 days, my clients will sue you in Maryland federal district court and collect reasonable attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses and other costs,» Riemer’s letter to the county board of elections stated. 

Riemer said he has not yet heard from the board of elections, and speculated that the county board is in the midst of speaking with the state board of elections and the state attorney general’s office about next steps. 

«If they noticed that Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections was part of this effort to get this information, they should have, because we sued Maryland last year for violating the National Voter Registration Act for restricting public access to registration records just like they’re doing here and won that lawsuit in March. And so they just continuously are doing these practices that are not transparent, they’re not what federal law requires, it’s not what the public deserves,» he added. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections for comment on the letter and redactions on Friday afternoon but did not immediately receive a reply. 

DEMOCRATS SILENT ON ILLEGAL ALIEN REGISTERED TO VOTE IN BLUE STATE

Roberts was criminally charged on Oct. 2 with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms, according to DHS. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Riemer said that the case is one of many that show concern over non-citizens being on voter roles is not «political theater» as Democrats have claimed amid conservatives rallying around stronger voter integrity laws nationwide. 

«We know it happens in the thousands. Oregon, for example, reported registering a couple thousand non-citizens through their DMV,» he said. 

Roberts was taken into the U.S. Marshals’ custody following his September arrest and is set to be prosecuted, DHS said in October. The federal agency has released the suspect’s lengthy history of run-ins with the law that stretch back to 1996, when he was charged with criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell in New York, a charge for third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle in Queens, New York, in 1998 that was later dropped and the 2012 conviction for reckless driving in Maryland. 

More recently, Roberts faced charges in 2020 for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other weapons charges and a 2022 conviction for unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in Pennsylvania. 

Roberts is also now facing charges related to his arrest in September, which included him attempting to flee law enforcement officers, according to DHS. He was found to be in possession of $3,000 in cash, a Glock 9mm pistol and a hunting knife at the time of his arrest. Roberts was criminally charged on Oct. 2 with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms, according to DHS. 

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The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revoked Roberts’ license following his arrest and he is no longer permitted to serve as a superintendent in the state.