Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) shared his predictions for the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, asserting that neither side will “achieve victory as defined in the most idealistic terms." He also emphasized the need for the United States to support Ukraine.
What Happened: Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, appeared on “Fox News Sunday” and offered his insights into the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He stated that neither Russia nor Ukraine would achieve a clear victory.
When asked about the level of pressure the U.S. and other international leaders should exert on Russia and Ukraine to find a solution, Rubio said "I'm not going to set parameters on what that looks like. It's not our place to do that; it's premature to do that."
"Here's what I do know, there is no way that the Russian Federation takes Ukraine, all of Ukraine, half of Ukraine and that was [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's goal from the beginning was to carve it up into half… at least half the country, including Kyiv, that's not going to happen," Rubio added.
Rubio also acknowledged the reality of Ukraine’s size and capabilities compared to Russia, noting that Ukraine is smaller and less equipped to mobilize forces. Despite previously refraining from discussing this publicly, Rubio now believes it is essential to acknowledge this reality. “I want Ukraine to have the most amount of leverage possible when the time comes for those conversations to happen."
Why It Matters: Despite the ongoing conflict, U.S. aid for Ukraine has been in limbo for nearly a year due to divisions among lawmakers. Rubio, along with most of the GOP conference, voted against a bipartisan border security deal last month, which would have unlocked aid for Ukraine.
He also voted against a $95 billion emergency defense spending bill last month, which included about $60 billion in aid for Ukraine. The bill passed in the Senate and is now with the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated that he will not bring it to the floor.
The situation has escalated in recent months, with Russian President Vladimir Putin threatening nuclear strikes if NATO troops aid Ukraine. This has further heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also equated losing the war against Russia to a fate as dire as death.
Meanwhile, the U.K. has shown support for Ukraine by backing a plan to divert billions from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine.
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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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