Secretary of State Marco Rubio staunchly defended President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war during an interview on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, calling Friday’s explosive Oval Office clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy an “unfortunate” derailment of a clear U.S. strategy.
Rubio, who confirmed no direct contact with Zelenskyy since the incident, emphasized Trump’s singular goal: bringing Russia to the negotiating table to halt a “bloody stalemate” that’s ravaged Ukraine for three years.
READ: Pentagon Deploys Stryker Brigade To U.S.-Mexico Border As Trump Touts Historic Low Illegal Crossings
“There’s been plenty of contact with them,” Rubio said, listing Zelenskyy’s recent meetings with Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and himself over the past ten days. “He wanted to come over on Friday to sign this commercial [minerals] deal that didn’t happen.” The meeting imploded when Zelenskyy challenged Trump’s ceasefire push, prompting Trump to eject him from the White House and declare on Truth Social that Zelenskyy “is not ready for Peace if America is involved” due to his “disrespect.” Rubio pointed to Trump’s post: “We’ll be ready to reengage when they’re ready to make peace.”
Rubio framed Trump as the world’s best shot at brokering a deal. “President Trump is the only person on Earth who has any chance whatsoever of bringing [Putin] to a table,” he told Stephanopoulos, arguing that public antagonism—like Zelenskyy’s Friday outburst—undermines that effort.
“You’re not going to bring them to the table if you’re calling them names … That’s the President’s instincts from years of putting together deals.” He dismissed past name-calling of Putin as irrelevant now, asking, “If there are no negotiations, what is the alternative? Another four years of war?”
The secretary rebuffed concerns from Zelenskyy and allies—like Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)—that Trump is placating Russia. Murkowski had posted Saturday, “I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be … embracing Putin.” Rubio fired back, “What have we done to placate the Russians? … We haven’t given Russia $180 billion in weapons.”
READ: Democrats Fretting Over Billionaires Have Been On The Billionaire Dole For Years
He cited a recent U.N. Security Council resolution—passed under Trump’s influence—as proof of U.S. leadership, noting it urged peace without praising Moscow. “Shouldn’t we all be happy that we have a president who’s trying to stop wars?” he pressed.
Stephanopoulos challenged Rubio on Zelenskyy’s point: Putin’s history of breaking deals, like a 2019 ceasefire, demands U.S. security guarantees. Rubio sidestepped specifics, insisting peace must come first.
“You first have to have a peace. We don’t even know if the peace is possible,” he said, acknowledging Putin’s reliability is a hurdle but one for negotiation, not preconditions. “Everybody is saying security guarantees to secure the peace … It begins with the first step, and that is engaging them.”
Rubio expressed frustration with Zelenskyy’s “Ukraine-splain” approach, particularly his clash with Vance over diplomacy’s meaning. “Don’t do anything to disrupt that,” he said of the U.S. plan, briefed to Kyiv for weeks. “Sadly, President Zelenskyy couldn’t contain himself … I hope this could all be reset.” He painted a grim picture—three million Ukrainians displaced, prisoners held by Russia, and no end in sight—asking, “Why is any of this good for anybody?”
READ: Op-Ed: It’s Time For America’s Relationship With Ukraine To Change—How About Divorce?
On a rumored Anglo-French peace plan raised by British PM Keir Starmer, Rubio said he’d heard little beyond talks with their foreign ministers. “I explained to them … the events leading up to what you saw on Friday,” he noted, sidestepping details. Pressed on concessions Russia might make, Rubio refused to tip his hand: “Why would I say that on a news broadcast? That’s what negotiations are about.”
The interview underscored a U.S. pivot under Trump—peace now, terms later—with Rubio casting it as a pragmatic necessity, not a Putin embrace. As Zelenskyy faces pressure from NATO’s Mark Rutte to mend ties, Rubio’s message was clear: reset or risk losing America’s leverage in a war Trump is determined to end, deal or no deal.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
