Secretary of State Marco Rubio tore into ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Sunday over the U.S.’ relationship with Russia, stating the “sooner” people “grow up,” the closer they can get to ending the Ukraine-Russia war.
After a heated discussion in the Oval Office between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House called off the potential mineral deal between the U.S. and Ukraine, with Trump stating Zelenskyy was not ready for “peace.” On ABC’s This Week, Stephanopoulos questioned Rubio about the now-strained relationship with Ukraine, before attempting to highlight how GOP allies, like Republican Arkansas Sen. Lisa Murkowski, have claimed the U.S. is “embracing Putin.”
“Well, which ones? What steps has the president taken to placate?” Rubio asked as Stephanopolous attempted to read Murkowski’s statement. “Are we arming the Russians? Are we providing economic assistance to the Russians? Have we given the Russians $180 million? What are we doing to placate them?”
In a post on X, Murkowski stated that not only did Trump officials refuse “to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine,” but the tense Oval Office interaction left her feeling “sick” to her stomach “as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies.”
“We’re a free country, people have a right to these opinions,” Rubio responded. “I would just say to you, what have we done to placate the Russians? The only thing we’ve done is say, are you guys willing to talk about peace? I say the same point. We’re not giving that — ”
However, Stephanopoulos quickly stepped in to state that the U.S. voted with “North Korea, Russia, and Belarus in the United Nations and against our Western allies,” referring to a European-drafted UN resolution on Monday addressing Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine.
“Do you know what the United Nations resolution was? I’ll tell you if you want to hear what it was,” Rubio said. “It basically said this has been a horrible war. It’s time for it to end. The job of the U.N. is to bring about peace in the world. I thought that’s what the U.N. was created to do, to stop wars and to prevent them?”
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“That’s what the resolution did. Was it antagonistic towards the Russians? No. Back to the point. But it also didn’t praise the Russians. All it said is this is a bad war. It needs to end,” Rubio added.
On Monday, the UN General Assembly adopted two competing resolutions on resolving the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Rubio highlighted how one was initiated by the United States in the Security Council, marking the first to be passed since the invasion began in February 2022, according to UN News.
“I just don’t get it. I really don’t. Other than the fact that it’s Donald J. Trump. If this was a Democrat that was doing this, everyone would be saying, ‘Well, he’s on his way to the Nobel Peace Prize,’” Rubio continued. “This is absurd. We are trying to end the war. You cannot end the war unless both sides come to the table, starting with the Russians.”
“That that is the point the president has made. We have to do whatever we can to try to bring them to the table to see if it’s even possible. I’m not promising you it’s possible,” Rubio said.
During the Oval Office meeting with political leaders, Trump and Vance began to push back against Zelenskyy’s behavior after he publicly criticized the U.S. for not attempting to halt Russia. While Trump warned the Ukrainian president that he was “gambling” with World War 3, Zelenskyy could be seen attempting to argue with Trump.
Following the meeting, the White House told Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese that “nothing will be signed,” referring to the mineral deal Trump and Zelenskyy were supposed to agree to on Friday. Trump then took to Truth Social, writing that after their discussions, he had determined Zelenskyy is “not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.”
“The sooner everyone grows up around here and figures out that this is a bad war that’s heading in a bad direction with death and destruction and all kinds of danger surrounding it that could spiral into a broader conflict,” Rubio said.
“The sooner people grow up and realize that, I think the more progress we’re going to be able to make. But the president’s crystal clear … he is going to be a president that tries to achieve peace … We’re going to do everything we can to end it in an enduring and sustainable and fair way,” Rubio concluded.
Zelenskyy has since taken to X to express his gratitude toward the U.S. and its leaders, stating on Fox News Friday evening that he is still open to signing the deal, which would jointly develop mineral extraction projects within the nation.
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