Rubio speaks out on Trump's positions on Zelenskyy and Putin
Photo: Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump is reluctant to publicly criticize or insult Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, believing that such actions hinder negotiations toward a potential end to the Russia-Ukraine war, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in an interview with CNN.
According to the US Secretary, President Trump understands that attacking Putin, regardless of personal feelings, forces him into a position where he must insult Putin and make maximalist demands regarding Russia's reparations for Ukraine's reconstruction. Rubio noted that while these matters are typically discussed in negotiations, aggressive public discourse can deter parties from coming to the negotiating table.
Rubio stated that these are things that are usually discussed in negotiations, but “when you start talking about that aggressively – and the president is a deal maker, he made deals his entire life – you’re not going to get people to the table.”
“And so you start to perceive that maybe Zelenskyy doesn’t want a peace deal. He says he does, but maybe he doesn’t. And that act of open undermining of efforts to bring peace is deeply frustrating for everyone who's been involved in communications with them leading up to today,” the Secretary of State said.
According to Rubio, the American side is “wasting time” in arranging the meeting between the US and Ukrainian presidents.
Asked about comments made by South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham after the meeting in the Oval Office that Zelenskyy should consider resigning, Rubio said that Trump had “taken no position on that.”
"What he (Trump - ed.) said today is, ‘Let him (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - ed.) come back when he ready to do peace.’ That’s what he said," Rubio said.
The secretary of state also answered the host's question about what he himself had said earlier that Putin could not be trusted in negotiations, and that this was the argument Zelenskyy tried to convey during the conversation in the Oval Office, and whether the White House's position on trusting the Kremlin leader's words had changed.
The secretary added that Trump’s position on Putin remains to “trust, but verify.”
Rubio reiterated that Trump “is a deal maker, he made deals his entire life” and that he “ is not going to get suckered into some deal that's not a real deal. We all understand this.”
“And so the goal here is to get to a place we have to explore whether peace is possible. I've said this repeatedly. I don't know, I think it is, based on what they (Russian representatives - ed.) have said so far, but we have to explore that,” the head of American diplomacy said.
He also asked what the European plan is to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“I can tell you what one Foreign Minister told me, and I'm not going to say who it was, but I can tell you what one of them told me. An that is that the war goes on for another year. Ans at that point Russia will feel so weakened that they'll beg for peace. That's another year of killing, another tear of dying, another year of destruction. And by the way, not a very realistic plan in my point of view,” Rubio said.
Clash between Zelenskyy and Trump, and subsequent statements
On February 28, during an official visit to the White House, President Zelenskyy engaged in a contentious discussion with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance regarding prospects for a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
President Trump accused Ukraine of insufficient gratitude for American support, expressed doubts about Ukraine's ability to win the war against Russia, cited issues with mobilization, and suggested that Kyiv should implement a ceasefire. He also threatened to reduce arms supplies to Ukraine.
Trump demanded that Zelenskyy sign a peace agreement with Russia, warning that Washington would disengage from the process otherwise. Zelenskyy countered that Putin does not honor signed agreements. The meeting ended without the signing of a minerals agreement between the two countries.
Subsequently, President Trump told reporters that Zelenskyy had overplayed his hand during the Oval Office negotiations and that to resume talks, the Ukrainian leader must demonstrate a desire for peace.
In an interview with FOX News, Zelenskyy explained the reasons behind the dispute with President Trump, expressed gratitude for US support, and noted that certain matters are best discussed privately.
He also stated that only the people of Ukraine have the authority to decide on his resignation.
