US Secretary of State Rubio: Trump is angry with Russia

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a press conference as part of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held in Malaysia. Responding to questions from journalists at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Rubio addressed his meeting today with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and the war in Ukraine. Marco Rubio said, "Our strategy is to continue engaging with all parties involved in finding a solution to this conflict. I have reiterated what the President (Donald Trump) has said, his frustration and dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in both peace talks and moving forward. Therefore, we will continue to engage."

Stating that he would convey the exchanges made at the meeting to Washington, Rubio said, "Within the framework of the discussions and reflections, perhaps there is something that can be built upon. This was an important conversation. We held this meeting and also talked about some other issues unrelated to the war in Ukraine. But of course, this was the main and most priority topic we discussed. President Trump was quite clear. He is frustrated and angry that there has not been more flexibility shown on the Russian side to end this conflict. We hope this situation changes and we will continue to be involved in the process at every opportunity," he said.

"THIS WAR WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED"

Answering a question about why the war in Ukraine continues despite several meetings between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Rubio said, "This is a war the President inherited, right? When he was elected, this war was already ongoing, and no progress had been made toward peace up to that point. In fact, there hadn't even been any talks between the Ukrainians and the Russians for a long time. So, although some humanitarian exchanges have taken place, frankly, our goal here is to end this war and fulfill any role we can play," he stated.

Stating that the Ukraine War did not start during the Trump era, US Secretary of State Rubio said, "If Trump had been president, this war would never have happened. But here we are now, this war exists. And we will continue to make contact, we will do everything we can, and we hope that we make progress. If we can make a difference on this, if we see an opportunity, we will seize that opportunity and pursue it. That is exactly what the President is doing. He deserves great credit for having held many phone calls with the leaders of both countries as well as other relevant individuals," he said.

"THE PRESIDENT NEEDS FLEXIBILITY"

Addressing whether they would impose more sanctions on Russia, Marco Rubio said, "Within the framework of existing authorities, but mainly if the Senate and the House of Representatives pass a law granting such authority, the President said that this is an option he can use. We are in contact with Congress regarding what this law will look like. Of course, the President needs flexibility regarding how and when these sanctions are applied, because this gives him maximum leverage in any discussion and negotiation process. Therefore, the President has clearly stated that he considers this a real option. We told the Russians this weeks ago. We informed them that a moment might come when such a situation could occur, and we will continue to say this, because this is a reality we are in," he said.

"AID TO UKRAINE CONTINUES"

Stating that Donald Trump was unaware of the Pentagon's decision to temporarily halt arms shipments to Ukraine, Rubio said, "Unfortunately, this decision was misunderstood. This was an interim decision made until a review could be conducted for a few specific types of ammunition. Frankly, we think something like this is logical, especially after prolonged conflicts, both in the defense of Israel and in the defense of our own bases. That is, a very limited review was conducted to ensure that there is sufficient stock of certain types of ammunition. It is typical to have short-term pauses in such reviews because if the review results in a shortage, you cannot take back the material that has already been shipped. But in general, aid to Ukraine continues in line with the program allocated by Congress," he said.

Responding to a question about which weapons were halted, the US Secretary said, "It was largely defensive. However, it was a review done for what was consumed in recent conflicts in the Middle East and, again, not because of a shortage, but because it was wise. It was important to check whether we had enough of this ammunition in our stocks for all our obligations around the world. This is necessary both for the defense of our bases in the Middle East and for our obligations to our partners in the Indo-Pacific region and other potential situations that may arise. But in the end, I can say that the overwhelming majority of the military aid the US provides to Ukraine has never been stopped," he stated.

"I HOPE WE CAN CONVINCE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS IN NATO"

Touching on the defense capacities of European countries, Rubio said, "One of the things the Ukrainians need is more Patriot batteries. Many countries in Europe have Patriot batteries, but no one wants to give them up. I hope this situation changes. If Ukraine is truly a priority, as many countries in Europe say, they should be willing to share the batteries they do not need to use right now. I hope we can convince some of our partners in NATO to provide these Patriot batteries to Ukraine, because there are many countries that have them, but no one wants to give up what they have. Maybe this situation will change. This is important," he said.

"THE PRESIDENT WANTS IT TO END"

Emphasizing that Donald Trump wants the Ukraine War to end, Marco Rubio said, "Loss of life is a very important and sensitive issue for the President. For example, just to give you an example, since January of this year, we have lost 100,000 soldiers on the Russian side. The numbers are lower on the Ukrainian side, but still quite high. The President does not like wars. He thinks wars are a waste of both money and lives, and he wants them to end. And he will do everything in his power to end this war, and you have seen this in the past. We hope that today and in the coming days, we will have a clearer understanding of Russia's position and priorities on this issue and that we can make some progress," he said.

Making a statement regarding China's support for Russia, Marco Rubio said, "I think the Chinese are clearly supporting the Russian effort and, in general, they wanted to help as much as possible without getting caught. But people in Europe and other parts of the world have noticed this. But ultimately, this peace, if possible and feasible, will be between Ukraine and Russia, and we are ready to do everything we can to end this war," he said.

"THIS CONFLICT WILL END"

Speaking about the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Rubio emphasized that he was hopeful about this issue, saying, "It seems that the terms have been agreed upon in general, but of course, now discussions need to be held on how these terms will be implemented. I spoke with Steve Witkoff last night, and he is optimistic that proximity talks will begin quite soon, accelerated and facilitated by the Qataris and Egyptians. But we have also seen in the past that talks have collapsed at this stage of proximity talks. I think we are closer now, and I think we are closer than we have been for a long time, so we are hopeful. But at the same time, we acknowledge that there are still some obstacles ahead of us, and at the root of these obstacles lies Hamas's unwillingness to disarm. Yet this would end the conflict immediately. If they release the hostages and disarm, this conflict will end," he stated.

"WE WANT TO SEE A CEASEFIRE"

Saying that Hamas wants Israel to withdraw completely, Rubio said, "I think the easiest way to end this is for all hostages to be released and for Hamas to disarm. If these do not happen, the Israelis and Hamas have reached an understanding through the mediation of Qatar and Egypt on a 60-day ceasefire and some elements such as the resumption of humanitarian aid through international organizations. But now, discussions need to be held on how this will be implemented. And in the past, there has been disagreement at this point. We hope it can be resolved this time. We are doing everything we can. We want to see a ceasefire. The President has clearly stated that he wants a ceasefire, and we have spent a lot of time and energy on this issue. I know Steve Witkoff has been working on this for hours every day. So we have put a lot of effort into this. We would like to see it happen," he said.

News Source: İHA