Rubio on Ending the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed on Sunday that a “full peace deal” is the optimal way to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war. However, he mentioned that a ceasefire could still be “not off the table.”
During his interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker brought up comments from President Trump regarding potential threats to Russia should it refuse to halt the war in Ukraine after his recent meeting with Putin. She pointed out that Trump is aiming for a broader peace agreement following this encounter.
“There is no doubt about that,” Rubio affirmed, emphasizing the necessity of a peace agreement as the ideal solution. “If we came to you tomorrow and said, ‘We have a perfect peace deal and it’s over,’ who would be against it? I think that’s the best way to end the war,” he added.
Rubio clarified that the aim of the meeting was not merely to negotiate a ceasefire but to bring an end to the conflict itself.
“We defended whether we needed a ceasefire at this moment,” he stated. “Unfortunately, the Russians don’t agree with that right now, but what we’re really focused on here isn’t just a ceasefire.”
When discussing a shift in Trump’s tone regarding potential “serious consequences” for Russia, Rubio noted that the country is already facing severe repercussions and that “the existing sanctions haven’t been addressed.”
“Ultimately, if we don’t reach an agreement, we won’t only see the consequences of the war, but also the ongoing sanctions and possibly new ones,” Rubio warned.
He cautioned that introducing more sanctions might not lead directly to a ceasefire.
“I think new sanctions against Russia could compel them to accept a ceasefire,” he said. “They are under significant sanctions already, and we can argue that their refusal to agree to end hostilities might stem from this pressure.”
When Welker questioned why Putin had not faced consequences since Trump’s presidency began, Rubio responded that all existing sanctions were in place at the time Trump took office.
“They deal with consequences daily,” he remarked. “However, the bottom line is that we haven’t altered the trajectory of this war. This doesn’t imply that the sanctions are unwarranted; rather, it illustrates that we haven’t changed the outcome. We are still aiming to bring this war to an end.”
Rubio’s remarks came after a three-hour meeting involving Russian and U.S. officials, with Rubio and his special envoy Steve Witkov alongside two Russian aides, following Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday. While no agreement emerged from the discussions, Trump characterized them as “productive.”
