The United States is the only country in the world and President Donald Trump the only leader that can bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table to even discuss ending the war in Ukraine, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“This is not our war,” Rubio told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “The United States is not in a war. Ukraine is in a war, and we’ve been supporting Ukraine.
“We happen to be in the role of the only country in the world with the only leader in the world that can actually bring Putin to a table to even discuss these things.”
Trump “has dedicated months and months of work,” Rubio continued, “on this matter, because we want to see an end to the war.
“But if tomorrow the war continues, life in America will not be fundamentally altered.”
Still, Trump is the only one talking peace with Putin.
“So I think that what we have to understand is that this has been a priority for this president, because he wants to promote peace,” Rubio said. “He wants to promote the end of a war. And I think we should be happy that we have a president that’s trying to promote peace and bring a war to an end.”
When asked if Trump’s threats to sanction Russia for their actions are empty since they have still not taken place, Rubio said “every single sanction that was in place on the day [Trump] took over remain … and the impact of all those sanctions remain.”
But, those have no nothing to bring peace, Rubio noted.
“To end this war you have to be able to engage with the Russians,” Rubio said.
Sanctions will do precisely the opposite.
“As much as people may not like it, as distasteful as people may find it, the only way to end this war is to get the Russians to agree,” Rubio continued, “to a peace deal. And the minute you issue new sanctions, your ability to get them to the table, our ability to get them to the table, will be severely diminished.
“That moment may arrive. But when it comes, what you’re basically signaling is there is no opportunity for peace at this point, so just let’s put on more sanctions and allow more people to get bombed and more people to be killed.
“And that’s what we’re trying to stop.”
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