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Secretary Marco Rubio with Megyn Kelly of The Megyn Kelly Show (Interview)
US Department of State ^ | January 31, 2025

Posted on 01/31/2025 4:06:01 PM PST by Kazan

QUESTION: Ukraine’s another issue that’s got the party divided.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah.

QUESTION: You’ve got a lot – I’m just sticking with the Republicans now, because there’s a whole other debate with the other side of the aisle – but who say no, Putin’s a bad actor; Russia’s a growing threat, and we’re doing the right thing by backing Ukraine. And I would say the majority of Republicans now are against that viewpoint and think we’ve lost – we’ve spent too much. It’s anyplace from 105 billion to 187 billion. And they’ve lost. We just have to be realistic about the fact that Ukraine has lost; it’s not going to gain back any of this ground. And we need a negotiated settlement now before we keep throwing good money after bad, and we can’t afford it. We’ve got Americans who are suffering now. I think that’s the majority view even on the Republican side now.

###

Meanwhile Ukraine is being set back 100 years; their energy grid is being wiped out. I mean, someone’s going to have to pay for all this reconstruction after the fact. And how many Ukrainians have left Ukraine, living in other countries now? They may never return. I mean, that’s their future, and it’s in danger in that regard.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antitrumperkelly; failedproxywar; marcorubio; meagainkelly; megynkelly; ukraine
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"We just have to be realistic about the fact that Ukraine has lost; it’s not going to gain back any of this ground."

Is that clear enough for neocons and Zeepers?

1 posted on 01/31/2025 4:06:01 PM PST by Kazan
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To: Kazan

SECRETARY RUBIO: It also happens to be the reality on the ground. First, let me say this. We think what Putin did was terrible: invading a country, the atrocities he’s committed. He did horrible things. But what – the dishonesty that has existed is that we somehow led people to believe that Ukraine would be able not just to defeat Russia but destroy them, push them all the way back to what the world looked like in 2012 or 2014, before the Russians took Crimea and the like. And then the result, what they’ve been asking for the last year and a half, is to fund a stalemate, a protracted stalemate, in which human suffering continues. Meanwhile Ukraine is being set back 100 years; their energy grid is being wiped out. I mean, someone’s going to have to pay for all this reconstruction after the fact. And how many Ukrainians have left Ukraine, living in other countries now? They may never return. I mean, that’s their future, and it’s in danger in that regard.

So the President’s point of view is this a protracted conflict and it needs to end. Now, it needs to end through a negotiation. In any negotiation, both sides are going to have to give something up. I’m not going to pre-negotiate that. I mean, that’s going to be the work of hard diplomacy, which is what we used to do in the world in the past, and we were realistic about it. But both sides in a negotiation have to give something. And that’s going to take time, but at least we have a President that recognizes that our objective is this conflict needs to end, and it needs to end in a way that’s enduring, because it’s an unsustainable – on all sides, it’s ultimately unsustainable. Russia’s paying a big price for this in their own economy, their inflation rate and the like.

But at the end, that’s the President’s position, and it’s the truth. And I think even a growing number of Democrats would now acknowledge that what we have been funding is a stalemate, a protracted conflict, and maybe even worse than a stalemate, one in which incrementally Ukraine is being destroyed and losing more and more territory. So this conflict needs to end and both sides —

QUESTION: Who’s the bigger – who’s the bigger problem in reaching a final negotiated settlement there, right? Is it Putin or is it Zelenskyy? There’s a report out that the Ukrainians are just banking on Putin digging his heels in and becoming annoying to President Trump on this, because he won’t give an inch. And they’re hoping that President Trump will come back over, closer to their worldview about Putin, about Russia, about this conflict. So who do you see as the bigger obstacle in getting a negotiated peace there?

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, I think there’s the public and then there’s the private, right? So in what you see portrayed publicly in conversations and what leaders say, a lot of it is speaking – they have domestic politics and political considerations. Even Vladimir Putin, who controls media, still has to care about what public opinion is in Russia and his image and what – how his entire personality is built around that.

QUESTION: Why do you think he does the shirtless pictures?

SECRETARY RUBIO: He doesn’t do those anymore. I think it’s been a while. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I asked him. I asked him, “Why do you do it?” when I interviewed him. And he said, “I give the people what they want.”

SECRETARY RUBIO: No. (Laughter.) Well, the point is that he has got his own domestic considerations. And so does Zelenskyy, right? I mean, at the end of the day he’s got – if you image if you’re a Ukrainian, the Russians have made you suffer so much, and now you’re going to let them keep land? I mean, the people would be upset about that in Ukraine, and you would understand it. And then there’s the mature realities of life on this planet, and that’s where this work is going to have to be defined.

Both sides are paying a heavy price for this. Both sides have incentive for this conflict to end. Both sides are in a – it’s not going to end with the maximalist goals of either side, and there’s going to have to be a lot of hard work done. And I think only the United States, under the leadership of President Trump, can make that possible. But it won’t be easy, and it’ll take some time. But it’s certainly something I know he’s strongly committed to being – to seeing happen.


2 posted on 01/31/2025 4:29:59 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus
What about this didn't you understand, Marcus:

"We just have to be realistic about the fact that Ukraine has lost; it’s not going to gain back any of this ground."

You agree that is true?

3 posted on 01/31/2025 4:34:10 PM PST by Kazan
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To: Kazan

Rubio:

Both sides are paying a heavy price for this. Both sides have incentive for this conflict to end. Both sides are in a – it’s not going to end with the maximalist goals of either side, and there’s going to have to be a lot of hard work done. And I think only the United States, under the leadership of President Trump, can make that possible. But it won’t be easy, and it’ll take some time. But it’s certainly something I know he’s strongly committed to being – to seeing happen.


4 posted on 01/31/2025 4:40:48 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus
Answer the question, Marcus. Do you agree with Rubio on this point: "We just have to be realistic about the fact that Ukraine has lost; it’s not going to gain back any of this ground."

That would require a yes or no answer.

5 posted on 01/31/2025 4:45:33 PM PST by Kazan
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To: Kazan

Read the interview again. Rubio didn’t say Ukraine lost. Megyn Kelly did.

You should ask your ESL teacher for a refund.


6 posted on 01/31/2025 4:50:34 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: Kazan

Do you agree with President Trump that US energy should supply the $30 trillion EU economy instead of Russian energy?

That would require a yes or no answer.


7 posted on 01/31/2025 4:57:20 PM PST by lodi90
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To: lodi90

Of course.


8 posted on 01/31/2025 4:59:06 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: lodi90

Yep


9 posted on 01/31/2025 5:01:49 PM PST by rrrod (6)
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To: marcusmaximus
Rubio certainly didn't disagree with Kelly's comments and said this:

"But what the dishonesty that has existed is that we somehow led people to believe that Ukraine would be able, not just to defeat Russia, but destroy (Putin), push him all the way back to what the world looked like in 2012 or 2014 before the Russians took Crimea," Rubio said on the Megyn Kelly Show.

And, the dishonesty he's referring has been coming from propagandists like you.

10 posted on 01/31/2025 5:04:17 PM PST by Kazan
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To: lodi90

EU and Russia should pay for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.


11 posted on 01/31/2025 5:05:52 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: Kazan

As if the EU Globohomos and Marxist Democrat Biden admin ever wanted Ukraine to win and Putin to lose. It has been nothing but weak sanctions and limited military aid to Ukraine while Putin’s regime built a war economy and bit by bit genocidally erased the second biggest country in Europe. That is the real dishonesty of this situation and no amount of Kremlin Bolshevik gaslighting will ever change that reality.


12 posted on 01/31/2025 5:16:06 PM PST by lodi90
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To: rrrod; marcusmaximus

It’s such an easy question but note that those who of dream of Making Russia Great Again at the expense of Americans and good American jobs can’t answer it. Obviously, because their loyalties lie elsewhere. They want America weak. They want “Globohomo” America defeated.


13 posted on 01/31/2025 5:20:26 PM PST by lodi90
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To: lodi90
Limited aid to Ukraine?

We and other NATO countries gave them every wonder weapon they had.

We're running low on certain types of missiles because we gave them to Ukraine.

That is one dumbest claims I've ever seen.

Ukraine NEVER, EVER had a chance in war with Russia in Russia's backyard.

14 posted on 01/31/2025 5:21:01 PM PST by Kazan
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To: marcusmaximus
SECRETARY RUBIO: It also happens to be the reality on the ground.

Yup, Rubio admits Ukraine lost. Just that simple. Do you want me to post the video clip? Yes or No?

15 posted on 01/31/2025 5:21:18 PM PST by Karl Spooner
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To: All

Nothing can happen until Tulsi Gabbard sterilizes the intelligence.

Then we’ll see about both sides paying a heavy price and atrocities etc. Rubio is parroting the briefings the Senate got the last few years.

Those will change.


16 posted on 01/31/2025 5:32:34 PM PST by Owen
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To: Karl Spooner

“stalemate, a protracted conflict, and maybe even worse than a stalemate, one in which incrementally Ukraine is being destroyed and losing more and more territory. So this conflict needs to end and both sides”


17 posted on 01/31/2025 5:43:18 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: Karl Spooner
“So the President’s point of view is this a protracted conflict and it needs to end. Now, it needs to end through a negotiation. In any negotiation, both sides are going to have to give something up. I’m not going to pre-negotiate that. I mean, that’s going to be the work of hard diplomacy, which is what we used to do in the world in the past, and we were realistic about it. But both sides in a negotiation have to give something. And that’s going to take time, but at least we have a President that recognizes that our objective is this conflict needs to end, and it needs to end in a way that’s enduring, because it’s an unsustainable – on all sides, it’s ultimately unsustainable. Russia’s paying a big price for this in their own economy, their inflation rate and the like.”
18 posted on 01/31/2025 5:48:33 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: Kazan

The clock is ticking for Putin with the Trump plan. Easter ceasefire. Ukraine withdrawal from Kursk. Attempt to save face at May 9th “victory” parade.


19 posted on 01/31/2025 5:51:07 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

When Ukraine agrees to concede all annexed territory to Russia and remove all NATO military presence from what’s left of it, there will be deal.


20 posted on 01/31/2025 6:01:31 PM PST by Kazan
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