Marco Rubio Photo:Getty Images
On Friday evening, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with CNN that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should apologise for making his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House a “fiasco”. He also questioned the Ukrainian leader’s readiness for peace talks with Russia. This was reported by The Hill.
“There was no need to come and be so confrontational,” Rubio said. According to him, Zelenskyy’s aggressive rhetoric has not brought Ukraine closer to peace. “Trump is a man who has been in business all his life and knows how to negotiate. But when you take a tough stance from the first minute, it only complicates the dialogue,” he added.
The comments by the US chief of diplomacy came amid deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington. The meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump ended in a scandal: the former US president ended the conversation early, ordered the Ukrainian leader to leave the White House and cancelled a joint press conference.
Criticism was also voiced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who usually supports Ukraine. He said that Zelenskyy should consider resigning. Rubio stressed that Trump did not express such a position, but made it clear: “Zelenskyy can come back when he is ready for real peace talks.”
Another moment of confrontation occurred during a discussion with Vice President J.D. Vance. Zelenskyy questioned the feasibility of negotiations with Putin, recalling that the Russian leader had repeatedly violated international agreements. Vance responded by calling the Ukrainian president’s tone “disrespectful” to American diplomacy.
Rubio also hinted that the White House is considering changing its approach to supporting Ukraine. “This is a bloody and destructive conflict that needs to be stopped. And if anyone can do it, it’s Donald Trump,” the US Secretary of State concluded.
