Marco Rubio states, "The only thing that matters is getting Putin to negotiate"
The current focus is on engaging the Russians at a negotiation table, as conveyed in the statement, "The point that we're at now is, we're trying to get the man to a table, the Russians," he said.
TroibNews 
In a sometimes combative interview on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the key to resolving the Russia-Ukraine war is to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, asserting that everything else is secondary.
During his appearance on ABC's "This Week," Rubio stated, "The only way it ends is if Vladimir Putin comes to a negotiating table. And right now President Trump is the only person on Earth who has any chance whatsoever of bringing him to a table to see what it is he would be willing to end the war on."
Rubio, who attended a contentious White House meeting on Friday between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told host George Stephanopoulos that the focus should not be on how Trump and Vice President JD Vance treated Zelenskyy — an aspect that received significant criticism both domestically and internationally.
He argued that peace efforts would not have been advanced if Trump had joined Zelenskyy in criticizing Putin during Friday's meeting. "We've spent three years calling Vladimir Putin names," Rubio commented. "That's not the point. And the point that we're at now is, we're trying to get the man to a table, the Russians. And I’ve said from the very beginning, maybe they don't want a deal either. We don't know. But we haven't talked to them in three years. But maybe they do."
Rubio consistently returned to the necessity of engaging Putin in negotiations, even as Stephanopoulos pushed him to address specific aspects of the heated Friday meeting. When asked about the security guarantees Zelenskyy is pursuing, Rubio suggested that discussing such matters was premature until negotiations were underway.
"The security guarantees which I actually like to call deterrents is all contingent upon there being a peace," he explained. "Everybody is saying security guarantees to secure the peace. You first have to have a peace. We don't even know if the peace is possible," Rubio noted.
He also mentioned that Zelenskyy should have been aware of this dynamic going into Friday's meeting. "What Zelenskyy did unfortunately," he said, "is he found every opportunity to try to Ukraine-splain on every issue."
Rubio concluded by asserting that Trump deserves credit for his efforts to foster peace. "I really am puzzled why anyone thinks that trying to be a peacemaker is a bad thing," he said.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
During his appearance on ABC's "This Week," Rubio stated, "The only way it ends is if Vladimir Putin comes to a negotiating table. And right now President Trump is the only person on Earth who has any chance whatsoever of bringing him to a table to see what it is he would be willing to end the war on."
Rubio, who attended a contentious White House meeting on Friday between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told host George Stephanopoulos that the focus should not be on how Trump and Vice President JD Vance treated Zelenskyy — an aspect that received significant criticism both domestically and internationally.
He argued that peace efforts would not have been advanced if Trump had joined Zelenskyy in criticizing Putin during Friday's meeting. "We've spent three years calling Vladimir Putin names," Rubio commented. "That's not the point. And the point that we're at now is, we're trying to get the man to a table, the Russians. And I’ve said from the very beginning, maybe they don't want a deal either. We don't know. But we haven't talked to them in three years. But maybe they do."
Rubio consistently returned to the necessity of engaging Putin in negotiations, even as Stephanopoulos pushed him to address specific aspects of the heated Friday meeting. When asked about the security guarantees Zelenskyy is pursuing, Rubio suggested that discussing such matters was premature until negotiations were underway.
"The security guarantees which I actually like to call deterrents is all contingent upon there being a peace," he explained. "Everybody is saying security guarantees to secure the peace. You first have to have a peace. We don't even know if the peace is possible," Rubio noted.
He also mentioned that Zelenskyy should have been aware of this dynamic going into Friday's meeting. "What Zelenskyy did unfortunately," he said, "is he found every opportunity to try to Ukraine-splain on every issue."
Rubio concluded by asserting that Trump deserves credit for his efforts to foster peace. "I really am puzzled why anyone thinks that trying to be a peacemaker is a bad thing," he said.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
