Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pushing back against claims the Trump administration is sidelining Ukraine in discussions about Russia’s ongoing war, calling such reports “not accurate.”
“I think what the president was irritated by, and rightfully so, was this argument that somehow we haven’t talked to Ukraine,” Rubio said Wednesday on “Fox & Friends.”
He emphasized that President Donald Trump reached out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately after his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I was there for both calls,” Rubio said. “He immediately called Zelenskyy right away.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, sits next to U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, right, and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (AP)
The remarks came amid reports suggesting that Trump is excluding Ukrainian officials from high-level discussions about a potential resolution to the war. Earlier this month, members of the Trump administration traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with Russian officials, a meeting that did not include Ukrainian representatives.
Trump recently downplayed Ukraine’s role in negotiations, telling Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade: “He’s been at the meetings for three years and nothing got done,” the president said, referring to Zelenskyy. “So I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you.”
Despite concerns over Ukraine’s absence in some talks, Rubio insisted the administration is serious about exploring a potential resolution with Russia.
“We told them [Russia] – do you guys want to end the war? Do you want to continue?” he said. “If you want to end the war, we can talk about what it would take to end it from their perspective. If you want to continue on the war, just tell us now.”
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According to Rubio, Russian officials agreed to a follow-up meeting where diplomatic teams from both sides will discuss possible terms for ending the war.
The discussions about Ukraine come as Trump’s broader stance on U.S. involvement in European security is drawing criticism from allies. Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, recently voiced concerns about America’s commitment to NATO, following Trump’s suggestion that European nations should take greater responsibility for their own defense.
Merz even suggested Europe should consider an independent defense force, a move signaling waning trust in NATO.
Rubio dismissed such concerns, arguing that NATO is not under threat, but that European allies must do more.
“The only thing that puts NATO in jeopardy is the fact that we have NATO allies who barely have militaries, or whose militaries are not very capable because they’ve spent 40 years not spending any money on it,” Rubio said.
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Trump has long called for NATO members to increase their financial contributions to the alliance. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently announced that European nations have agreed to raise their defense spending, saying they need to do “much, much more.”
“We’re not saying do your own thing. We’re saying do more. It’s their continent, right?” Rubio said. “Why is it unreasonable for the United States to ask rich European countries to invest more money in their own national security?”
