RealClear Politics
Rubio: Zelensky "Ukraine-splaining" Undermines Possibility Of Bringing Russia To the Table
Posted By Tim Hains
On Date March 2, 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Zelensky "Ukraine-splaining" everything threw a wrench into the administration's effort to lure Russia to the negotiating table.
"It was explained to them repeatedly, and that is, here’s our strategy: We're trying to get Putin to a negotiating table. Let’s not rehash -- everyone knows the history here... Don't do anything to disrupt that. And that's what Zelensky did unfortunately, he found every opportunity to try to Ukraine-splain on every issue," Rubio said on ABC's "This Week."
Here's the full interview:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Aren't those talks feasible only if the United States is willing to also provide security guarantees to Ukraine? That was the point President Zelensky was also making in the Oval Office.
SECRETARY MARCO RUBIO: Well, the security guarantees which I actually like to call deterrents is all contingent upon there being a peace. 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. And that was understood by the Ukrainians. It was explained to them repeatedly, and that is, here’s our strategy: We're trying to get Putin to a negotiating table. Let’s not rehash -- everyone knows the history here, the back and forth. We all understand that, but the question now is, can we get them to a table to negotiate? That's our goal.
Don't do anything to disrupt that, and that's what Zelensky did unfortunately, is he found every opportunity to try to Ukraine-splain on every issue. Then he confronts the vice president. When the vice president says the goal here is diplomacy, he immediately jumps in and challenges the vice president. Well, what kind of diplomacy?
So, we all understand, okay, that Putin is not going to be an easy negotiator in this regard. We all get that, but we have to -- we have to start the process to see if something is even possible.
And I honestly am puzzled. I just don't understand. The Biden administration berated Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israelis, put all kinds of conditions and pressure on them to try to get a ceasefire. In this particular case, we’ve been nice by comparison, and all we're trying to do here is figure out whether a peace is possible.
The first -- all these other things that people keep bringing up, that will have to be a part of a negotiation. Right now, there is no negotiation. Shouldn't we at least try to see if there is a way to end this war in a way that's acceptable to both sides and is enduring and sustainable? How is that a bad thing?
I really am puzzled why anyone thinks that trying to be a peacemaker is a bad thing. It's only a bad thing when it's Donald Trump trying to do it, when it's President Trump. It's absurd to me.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, even some of your Republican allies are puzzled by the steps President Trump has taken to placate Vladimir Putin. I want to bring up a post that Lisa Murkowski --
RUBIO: Well, which ones? Which -- what steps has the president taken to placate -- what steps has he taken?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, let me show -- let me show you what Lisa Murkowski said and you respond -- and you respond to that.
RUBIO: Are we arming the Russians? Are we providing economic assistance to the Russians? Are we giving the Russians $180 billion? What are we doing to placate?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Please let me ask -- please let me ask you the question.
This is Lisa Murkowski, and here's what she says: This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense and shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine.
I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.
Those are not my words. That's Senator Lisa Murkowski. What's your response?
RUBIO: Well, you know, yeah. We're a free country. People have a right to these opinions.
I would just say to you, what have we done to placate the Russians? The only thing we've done is say, are you guys willing to talk about peace? I say the same point.
We’re not giving -- we haven’t given $180 billion and weapons. We haven’t given them an Oval Office meeting.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You voted with North Korea and Russia and Be -- you voted with North Korea and Russia and Belarus in the United Nations and against our Western allies.
RUBIO: No, let me tell you. All right. So you know what -- do you know what the United Nations’ resolution was? I’ll tell you if you want to hear what it was. It basically said, this has been a horrible war. It's time for it to end. The job of the U.N. is to bring about peace in the world. I thought that's what the U.N. was created to do, to stop wars and to prevent them, and that's what the resolution did.
Was it antagonistic towards the Russians? No. Back to the point, but it all -- it also didn't praise the Russians. All it said is, this is a bad war. It needs to end.
And, by the way, at the Security Council, which has not been widely reported, the first resolution on Ukraine that has passed the Security Council in three years, passed this week because of the leadership of President Trump and it's a resolution that says bad war needs to end, let's bring the two sides together. That's what the resolution is.
Again, what is the United Nations for? Isn't it not a forum to promote peace in the world? And shouldn't our president -- shouldn't we all be happy that we have a president who's trying to stop wars and prevent them instead of start them?
And I just don't get it. I really don't, other than the fact that it's Donald J. Trump.
If this was a Democrat that was doing this, everyone would be saying, well, he’s on his way to the Nobel Peace Prize. This is absurd. We are trying to end a war. You cannot end a war unless both sides come to the table, starting with the Russians. And – and that – that is the point the president has made. And we have to do whatever we can to try to bring them to the table to see if it's even possible.
I'm not promising you it's possible. I'm not telling you it's 90 percent likely. I'm saying it's zero percent likely if we don't get them to a negotiating table. And the sooner everybody grows up around here and figures out that this is a bad war that’s heading in a bad direction with death and destruction, and all kinds of danger surrounding it that could spiral into a broader conflict. The sooner people grow up and realize that, I think the more progress we're going to be able to make.
But the president's crystal clear. He campaigned on it. And he's going to govern on it. And that is, he is going to be a president that tries to achieve peace. And he has been very clear, this is a war that would have never happened had Donald Trump been in the White House. And it needs to end. And we're going to do everything we can to end it. And in an enduring and sustainable and fair way.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You said in your confirmation hearings that Russia will have to make concessions to get a peace deal. What concessions do you expect them to make?
RUBIO: Well, why would I say that on a news broadcast? That's the problem here.
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