Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) defended GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump saying the Russia-Ukraine warfare should finish by means of negotiation in an interview Sunday quite than relying on a Ukrainian victory.
“I’m not on Russia’s side — but unfortunately the reality of it is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is with a negotiated settlement,” Rubio mentioned in an interview with Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And I want, and we want, and, I believe Donald Trump wants, for Ukraine to have more leverage in that negotiation.”
Rubio, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, mentioned he didn’t know “why we can’t just say that” with reference to Trump’s proposed negotiated deal.
On Wednesday, Trump gave one in all his strongest indicators to this point that he won’t absolutely again Ukraine’s goals, saying Ukraine ought to have “given up a little bit” at a marketing campaign occasion in North Carolina. On Friday, after assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump supported a negotiated deal, saying, “It takes two to tango, and we will.” And when requested straight, the previous president denied two alternatives to say he wished Ukraine to win over the past presidential debate towards Vice President Kamala Harris.
Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s supporters have insisted that every one of Ukraine’s occupied territory have to be restored. However Rubio added that the Biden administration, if pressed on what victory seems to be like for Ukraine, would additionally agree {that a} negotiation is the top end result.
“We hope that when that time comes there is more leverage on the Ukrainian side than on the Russian side. That really is the goal here in my mind,” Rubio mentioned. “And I think that’s what Donald Trump is trying to say, but he’s going to say it like a businessman. But Biden won’t even tell us what victory is.”
The Florida senator additionally danced round supporting Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance for saying {that a} peaceable settlement may appear like “the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine, that becomes like a demilitarized zone” on a podcast not too long ago.
“I think what the deal looks like will be up to the parties when they negotiate it. Obviously, Zelenskyy is not going to come out there and say, from a negotiating standpoint is not going to go out there and predetermine what it looks like,” Rubio mentioned. “So I understand why he wouldn’t want to go out there and define what it looks like at the front end.”
He added, “But I think we, as Americans, the reality of it is we are investing billions of dollars into this effort, and it’s important that as we invest this money into this effort that we tell the American taxpayer, ‘This is what the money’s going toward.’ Ultimately, it’s not endless war, right?”
When pressed on whether or not he can be comfy with accepting the demarcation settlement Vance proposed, Rubio dodged, saying he can be comfy with a negotiated deal that ends hostilities and favors Ukraine, “meaning that they have their own sovereignty.” He reiterated that he wouldn’t “prejudge any agreement” when requested if meaning he didn’t help Vance’s claims.
“The most important thing here is that these hostilities end and that Ukraine can go back to rebuilding its economy and people can move back. Millions of people have had to leave that country,” Rubio mentioned. “It’s been devastating to them. But that negotiation is going to be up to them. I just want them to have more leverage than Putin.”
