Secretary of State Marco Rubio scrambled to justify the administration’s lack of progress toward a Ukraine–Russia ceasefire during Donald Trump‘s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
In a round of interviews on four Sunday news programs, Rubio, who used to be strongly anti-Putin, struggled to defend the administration’s position, despite Trump’s boasting that he made “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA” in a Truth Social post that morning.
That’s a big change of tune to what Trump said before he met with Putin: “I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I don’t know if it’s going to be today, but I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today.”
This Week host Martha Raddatz pointed out this inconvenient fact, asking Rubio if Trump changed his mind.
“The fighting hasn’t stopped. The killing hasn’t stopped. And there is no ceasefire. What changed President Trump’s mind?” Raddatz asked.
“I don’t think his mind has changed at all,” Rubio said. “I think, ultimately, if this whole effort doesn’t work out then, yes, there is going to have to be additional consequences to Russia, but we’re trying to avoid that by reaching a peace agreement. And that’s not going to be easy. It’s going to take a lot of work.”
Rubio continued to hedge: “So, we’re still a long ways off. I mean, we’re not at the precipice of a peace agreement. We’re not at the edge of one, but I do think progress was made.”
But Rubio refused to elaborate on what that progress was, nor would he name any concessions that Putin agreed to.
Raddatz pressed Rubio. “The president went in to that meeting saying he wanted a ceasefire and there would be consequences if they didn’t agree on a ceasefire in that meeting, and they didn’t agree to a ceasefire. Where are the consequences?” she asked.
“That’s not the aim,” Rubio responded.
“The president said that was the aim,” Raddatz said.
The public meeting between Putin and Trump went so poorly, even Fox News described it as a flop where Putin clearly dominated the conversation: “The way that it felt in the room was not good. It did not seem like things went well. And it seemed like Putin came in and steamrolled, got right into what he wanted to say and got his photo next to the president and then left,” the network’s senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich said.
On Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Rubio said that while “there’s a lot of work that remains,” the U.S.-Russia conversation zeroed in on issues of borders, long-term security for Kyv, and Ukraine’s military alliances.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to Russia, disclosed more details, saying on CNN that the U.S. allegedly won “the concession that the United States could offer Article Five-like protection” to Ukraine, referring to the kind of protection NATO countries provide one another. Putin has vehemently opposed Ukraine becoming a NATO member.
Rubio’s role in the administration has led him to compromise his views on Putin’s aggression toward Ukraine. On Meet the Press, host Kristen Welker rolled out a clip of Rubio from 2022 arguing that “you can’t cut deals with guys” like Putin.
As a senator, Rubio called Putin several things — “bloodthirsty,” “a butcher,” and “a monster.” He also pressed the Biden administration to continue supporting Ukrainians “as long as they are willing to fight.”
Democrats have been staunchly critical of the administration’s handling of Russia’s aggression twoard Ukraine.
“That meeting was a disaster. It was an embarrassment for the United States,” Sen. Chris Murphy said Sunday on Meet the Press. “It was a failure. Putin got everything he wanted.”
“[Putin] didn’t have to give up anything. Nothing, right?” Murphy continued. “President Trump said he wanted a ceasefire. It appears the ceasefire wasn’t even seriously discussed. And, then… there’s no consequences. Trump said, ‘If I don’t get a ceasefire, Putin’s going to pay a price.’ And then he walked out of that meeting saying, ‘I didn’t get a ceasefire. I didn’t get a peace deal. And I’m not even considering sanctions.’ You heard Secretary Rubio downplay sanctions. And, so, Putin walks away with his photo op, with zero commitments made and zero consequences. What a great day for Russia.”
Murphy also unleashed on congressional Republicans for doing Trump’s bidding. “In the Congress, the Republicans essentially work for President Trump,” he said. “And if President Trump tells them that his number one priority is to keep Vladimir Putin happy, not to actually levy the kind of sanctions that would create a realistic negotiating table, Republicans are gonna listen.”
Rep. Jason Crow also pointed out what a failure the meeting was, calling it a “historic embarrassment” for the U.S.
“What [Putin] cares about is three things: economic pressure in form of sanctions, being a pariah state, and military defeat… This admin continues to be unwilling to do anything to assert pressure in any of those three areas,” he said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington on Monday where he will meet with Trump. The last time Zelensky visited D.C., both Trump and Vance publicly berated him in the Oval Office, with Vance bashing him for not saying “thank you” enough to the United States.
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