Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said the “best way” to end the war between Russia and Ukraine is through “a full peace deal,” but he clarified that a ceasefire is “not off the table.”
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker asked Rubio about President Trump’s past threats of “severe consequences” for Russia if it did not agree to stop its war in Ukraine after the president met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, a meeting that did not end with an agreement on Ukraine. She noted that Trump is now asking for a broader peace deal after the meeting.
“There’s no doubt about that,” Rubio said about a peace deal being the ideal outcome. “I mean, who would be against the fact if tomorrow we came to you and said, ‘We have a full peace deal and it’s done.’ I think that’s the best way to end the war.”
Rubio noted that the aim of the meetings is not establishing a ceasefire, but an end to the war.
“Now, whether there needs to be a ceasefire on the way there, well, we’ve advocated for that,” he said. “Unfortunately, the Russians, as of now, have not agreed to that. But the ideal here, what we’re aiming for here, is not a ceasefire. What we ultimately are aiming for is an end to this war.”
When pushed on Trump’s change in tune from threatening “severe consequences” against Russia, Rubio said the country is “already facing very severe consequences,” noting “not a single sanction” has been lifted.
“Ultimately, look, if we’re not going to be able to reach an agreement here at any point, then there are going to be consequences, not only the consequences of the war continuing, but the consequences of all those sanctions continuing and potentially new sanctions on top of it as well,” Rubio said.
Rubio warned that adding new sanctions on Russia won’t necessarily lead to a ceasefire.
“I don’t think new sanctions on Russia are going to force him to accept the ceasefire,” he added. “They’re already under very severe sanctions. You could argue that that could be a consequence of refusing to agree to a ceasefire or the end of hostility.”
When Welker asked why Trump hasn’t “punished” Putin since taking office, noting that critics may see his statements as “empty threats,” Rubio argued, “Every single sanction that was in place on the day he took over remain.”
“They face consequences every single day,” he continued. “But the bottom line is that that has not altered the direction of this war. That doesn’t mean those sanctions are inappropriate. It means it hasn’t altered the outcome of it. And here’s what we do think is important, and that is that we end this war. To end this war, you have to be able to engage with the Russians.”
Rubio’s comments come after Trump met with Putin on Friday in Alaska in a three-hour meeting alongside senior Russian and U.S. officials, Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and two Russian aides.
While no agreement came out of the meeting, Trump touted it as “productive.”
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