U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized Russia's war against Ukraine as the most illogical in the world. He believes that now is the optimal time to end the conflict.
A War Without Winners
In a comment to Fox News, Rubio reacted to remarks by President Donald Trump, who said ending this war would be the easiest. The secretary of state explained the American leader's position differently.
I think he actually means that this is the most illogical war
– said Marco Rubio
According to him, logic suggests the need to stop the conflict, since nobody is winning in the traditional sense of the word.
Scale of Losses
The secretary of state cited striking figures for Russian losses – 7,000 troops per week. This exceeds total U.S. losses in some previous wars. At the same time, Moscow is fighting over 30–50 kilometers of territory in 20 percent of the non-occupied portion of Donetsk Oblast.
Rubio is confident that Washington has made progress in determining what terms Kyiv might accept. Security guarantees will allow Ukraine not only to rebuild its economy but also to achieve prosperity. With the right actions, in ten years Ukraine's GDP could exceed Russia's.
U.S. Goals
The secretary of state outlined the objectives the United States has set: ending the war, protecting Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, and preventing a renewed invasion. Washington will not allow Ukraine to be turned into a puppet state and seeks to create conditions for economic growth.
Rubio reiterated the point that this is not an American war. Nevertheless, the United States is involved in the settlement because only it is capable of doing so. Trump is the only world leader who can talk to both sides and negotiate a deal.
Dialogue with Both Sides
The secretary of state emphasized the need to communicate with both Kyiv and Moscow. He called those who advocate contacts exclusively with Ukraine irrational people.
We are trying to see if we can bridge the gap between both sides. To do that, we need to talk to both sides
– explained the U.S. secretary of state
He stressed that ending the Russian-Ukrainian conflict without talks with Russia is impossible, although Kyiv's position must also be taken into account. Ukraine has shown bravery in combat, but now is the ideal moment for both sides to stop the confrontation.
Criticism of Unlimited Support
Rubio criticizes the idea of open-ended funding for Ukraine in unlimited amounts. He views such a policy as unrealistic and unachievable, since sustaining that level of support is impossible.
At the same time, the secretary of state acknowledged the successes of Ukrainian forces. In the early stage of the invasion, Russia controlled significantly more territory. Ukraine managed to push back the occupiers, which is evident on the map of the first three months of the full-scale aggression.
War of Attrition
Now the conflict has turned into a war of attrition. Moscow is demonstrating a willingness to sacrifice 7,000 soldiers a week for its goals. Putin recently said that achieving Russia's objectives could take a long time.
Rubio noted that decisions on the Russian side are made solely by Putin, not his advisers. Only the Russian president can end this war from the Russian side.
Context
The secretary of state's remarks came amid intensified diplomatic efforts by the Trump administration to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Washington is trying to find a compromise between the parties' positions, emphasizing the unique role of the U.S. as the only mediator capable of engaging both sides of the confrontation.
Rubio urged praising Trump for his attempts to end the war, not criticizing him. If the parties decide to continue the conflict, it will go on, but the U.S. administration is doing everything possible to bring it to an end.
