Washington DC, April 24 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has refuted a recent report in the US media which alleged discussions about lifting sanctions on Russia in connection with a Ukraine deal, and termed it "unequivocally false."

Accusing the POLITICO outlet of "journalistic malpractice," Rubio in a post on X stated, "This is unequivocally false. Neither Steve Witkoff (US Special Envoy to Middle East) nor I have had any conversations about lifting sanctions against Russia as part of a deal with Ukraine. This is journalistic malpractice. If @POLITICO has an ounce of integrity they will fully retract this piece of fiction."

POLITICO, in a report citing sources, had said that the White House is debating whether to lift sanctions on ...