Secretary Marco Rubio Remarks at His Swearing-In

U.S. Department of State ^ | Jan 21, 2025

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Will post video link below.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

https://youtu.be/5K11NVOcQnQ

[Right_Wing_Madman]

Very interesting. Like Trump's inaugural address yesterday, Rubio, the new Secretary of State, didn't mention "Ukraine" once.

Yesterday, Trump didn't mention Ukraine, but spoke extensively about the Panama Canal.

The message from the new administration is pretty clear to me: Ukraine is not a vital interest for the United States.

[dp0622]

It’s not an interest AT ALL to me :)

Except for the sending a gazillion dollars there on a regular basis and using our missiles to strike deep into Russia.

Once those 2 things stop, russia and ukraine can do whatever they want to each other.

[Socon-Econ]

Waiting for him to remove the gay flags in our embassies.

[cgbg]

The rainbow flags should be burned in public ceremonies.

[Paul R.]

Uh, Sec. Rubio did not mention ANY foreign country in his remarks.

When it comes to President Trump, the blizzard of new reports that he is now saying sanctions and sending
more weapons to Ukraine may be necessary to get Putin to negotiate should be far more interesting to you.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-838642

FWIW, IMO, present level sanctions and weapons shipments will not be enough to force Pooty to the table.

Trump’s declaration of an “Energy Emergency” is even more curious. Energy prices in the US are moderately high, but not crazy high, except in states like CA where they’ve basically screwed themselves. Unleaded gasoline is running $2.70-$2.80 near me, this morning (a small jump up). Predictions of future oil pricing are all over the map, even within the same articles (example below), but the best guess is no drastic jumps, unless the US pursues policies to force a lot of Iranian and Russian oil and gas and refined products off the global market, while failing to backfill supplies with our own production. Is the “Energy Emergency” a tacit admission that drastic backfilling will be needed?

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Oil-Prices-Fall-Ahead-Of-Trump-Inauguration.html

Certainly, if energy prices go UP, even modestly, the 2026 US elections will be a bloodbath for US conservatives... :-(

[OrioleFan]

My favorite part was when Marco was speaking in Spanish. JD seemed to ask Marco’s wife, “Do you know what he’s saying?” And she replied (if I can read lips), “Not a word.” Marco noticed this and told them, “What I said was I just made a bundle by switching to GEICO.” I couldn’t stop laughing.

[Ex gun maker.]

$3.89 for regular here.
Diesel at 3.40
Are you picking yours up at the refinery?

[Right_Wing_Madman]

When it comes to President Trump, the blizzard of new reports that he is now saying sanctions and sending more weapons to Ukraine

Instead of reading foreign reports that were written before Trump's inauguration and speculate what Trump will do in Ukraine, you should read the Executive Order Trump signed two days ago here:

REEVALUATING AND REALIGNING UNITED STATES FOREIGN AID
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/reevaluating-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/

"The United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values."

"All department and agency heads with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance programs shall immediately pause new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds to foreign countries and implementing non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and contractors pending reviews of such programs for programmatic efficiency and consistency with United States foreign policy, to be conducted within 90 days of this order."

Ukraine, nor any other country, will not receive foreign aid of any kind (money, weapons, etc.) from the United States for the next 90 days.

[Paul R.]

We are supplying only medium range missiles. ATACMS are only “long range” in fevered hype by both sides. They certainly cannot reach Moscow - not even close.

Would you object to the Euros purchasing US missiles on a lend-lease basis, to use (or donate to Ukraine) as the Euros see fit?

The Ukrainian “Peklo” cruise missile can, however, reach Moscow and can be considered at least to be “medium-long range.” Full capability German Taurus missiles could also reach Moscow, but are not being supplied, for that very reason.

The real “long range” threats to Russia are the increasingly sophisticated small plane size Ukrainian drones, with strike ranges being seen of well over 1000 km. After a period where Russia seemed to be defending against these better, more now are getting through. My guess is that the Ukies have, at least in limited numbers, now gotten to the level of non-GPS dependent guidance that the US had about 40 years ago...

[Paul R.]

I’m in mid-south USA. Gas is moderately low here, but so are incomes.

[Paul R.]

The interview was in the Wall Street Journal.

[Paul R.]

It’s a bit of a stretch to say sanctions and weapons deliveries are “disbursements of development assistance funds”, don’t you think?

[Right_Wing_Madman]

The interview was in the Wall Street Journal.

Great. Now go read the executive order Trump signed.

[Paul R.]

“gas” as in “gasoline”

[Paul R.]

It was nice to see Rubio rattle all that off without a teleprompter. :-)

[Nateman]

...Waiting for him to remove the gay flags in our embassies...

Wait no more! One of the many Executive Orders mandates only the American flag!

[Right_Wing_Madman]

weapons deliveries are “disbursements of development assistance funds”, don’t you think?

You didn't read the EO:

"Reviews of each foreign assistance program shall be ordered by the responsible department and agency heads under guidelines provided by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of OMB."

Weapon deliveries to Ukraine are a "foreign assistance program."

I hate to break it to you, and I know you're still in the denial phase like many others around here, but Ukraine will not receive any foreign assistance from the United States in the next 90 days.

[Paul R.]

I did read it. It does not apply, as I noted above, but then your English comprehension doesn’t seem to be your strong point.