Rubio Asserts Trump Has Made No Concessions to Putin Amid Criticism of Ukraine Policy

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has not made any concessions to Russia, countering criticism regarding the administration’s approach to Ukraine during a Senate hearing.

«He hasn’t made a single concession,» Rubio said about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rubio’s comments came in response to Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who argued that since Trump returned to the White House, he has provided Putin greater motivation to expand his territory while biding his time.

She pointed out that due to Chinese support for Russia and the fact that «President Trump has weakened our leverage, Putin feels no urgency to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.»

Rubio stated that Trump, who spoke with Putin again by phone on Monday, is reluctant to implement new sanctions against Russia, unlike the European Union, which took that step on Tuesday.

«If it becomes apparent that the Russians are not seeking a peace agreement and simply wish to continue the conflict, we may reach that conclusion,» Rubio remarked.

Trump «is convinced that if you begin to threaten sanctions, the Russians will cease communication, and maintaining dialogue is valuable for encouraging them to negotiate,» Rubio explained.