Marco Rubio: What they are literally fighting over is 30 to 50 kilometer space and the 20% of the Donetsk region that remains. So what we’ve tried to do, and I think they have made some progress, is to figure out what can the Ukrainians live with, that gives them security guarantees for the future. They will never be invaded again. Allows them not just to rebuild their economy but to prosper as a country, be a country that has an economy that grows -- theoretically doing the right things, in 10 years, Ukraine’s GDP could be larger than Russia’s. These are the kinds of things. Stop the war. Make sure they never get invaded or attacked again. Protect Ukraine’s long standing and long term sovereignty and independence, they don’t become a puppet state, and be independent and sovereign, and allow their economy not just to recover but to prosper and turn it into a story of prosperity. Thats what we are trying to achieve here. So what can Ukraine agree to, given all the dynamics that I’ve just described. And what will Russia agree to.
And at the end of the day it’s not up to us. It’s not our war. We are not fighting, its not american soldiers. It’s on another continent. We’re engaged because we’re the only ones that can. European countries, … There is no one else in the world that can do it. The Chinese cant do it. The only leader in the world that can talk to both sides and make a deal if a deal is possible is President Trump and he’s been very patient. He’s dedicated a lot of time to it. A lot of the top people in his administration have been involved in this. We’re trying to see if we can bridge the divide between both sides.
To do that we have to talk to both sides, we have some irrational people involved in this issue, ok?
People who believe we should only talk to the Ukrainian side and not the Russians at all. You cant end the war between Russia and Ukraine, without talking to Russia, ok?
But, you have to take into account the Ukrainian position. They’ve been very brave in how they fought. But we think that now is the ideal time for both sides to end the war and if there is a way to bridge the divide between the two sides we’re the only ones in the world that can do it and that’s what we’re trying to do.
Ultimately it’s gonna be up to them [Ukraine and Russia]. If they decide they don’t want to end it, then the war will continue. But we are gonna try to bring it to an end. And I think the president should be commended for that not attacked for it, or criticized.
Some of these people [referencing Nato and EU partners - see train of thought above, also phrasing (as long as it takes)] have this notion that our policy should be just continue to fund Ukraine. Unlimited amounts, for as long as the war takes. That’s not realistic. That’s not reality. And that’s not going to happen. And we’ve been saying that for a long time you can’t sustain the scale and scope of it.
In other surely entirely unrelated news:
Zum ersten Mal seit 2003 bleibt der höchste amerikanische Aussenpolitiker einem Treffen der Nato-Aussenminister fern. Obwohl der Zeitpunkt brisant ist, demonstrieren die übrigen Aussenminister Gelassenheit. Lieber sprechen sie über Waffen.
[…]
Marco Rubios Abwesenheit gab beim Gipfel zu reden, weil sein Departement dafür keine spezifischen Gründe angegeben hatte – und weil der Zeitpunkt brisant ist.
https://www.nzz.ch/international/der-stille-einfluss-von-marco-rubio-in-trumps-kabinett-ld.1914761
