US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement on Tuesday, urged both Ukraine and Russia to make concessions to end the ongoing conflict.
His comments reflect a shift in the US administration’s stance on Ukraine under President Donald Trump.
Rubio, speaking on NBC News on his first full day in office, reinforced Trump’s campaign pledge to stop the destruction caused by the war.
“The president said when he was campaigning, he wants the dying to stop. He wants the destruction to stop. I think that’s in everyone’s interest,” Rubio said.
While he acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, he emphasized that both sides must be willing to negotiate.
ALSO READ: Trump renames Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’
“Now, will that be easy? Will it be complicated? Of course, because every side is going to have to give something,” he stated.
When asked about the consequences if Russia were to retain Ukrainian territory without facing any repercussions, Rubio pointed out that Russia had already experienced significant consequences.
“So there’s already been consequences, and there’s been horrifying consequences for Ukraine,” he said. Rubio acknowledged that Ukraine had been “victimized” by Russia, but he noted that the current situation had resulted in a stalemate.
“In the end, the reality is what we’re facing now is a stalemate, a protracted conflict, stalemate in which massive damage is being done to Ukraine.”
On other matters, Rubio chose not to comment on “domestic political debates” when asked about Trump’s January 6 mass pardons and his own past remarks on the Capitol attack.
Rubio did, however, address concerns over a potential TikTok ban. He stated it was “reasonable” for the new administration to take time to evaluate the situation and consider all security concerns before making a decision.
(CNN)
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE