Marco Rubio Takes Down Stephanopoulos in Heated Trump Ukraine Debate [WATCH]

Marco Rubio clashed with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday over the ongoing Ukraine conflict, criticizing the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to engage in negotiations with Russia.

The exchange took place on This Week, where Stephanopoulos attempted to frame President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s approach to Ukraine as favoring Russia.

Rubio, who currently serves as Secretary of State under Trump’s administration, pushed back on the characterization and emphasized the need for diplomacy to end the war.

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During the interview, Stephanopoulos suggested that Trump and Vance were siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Rubio dismissed the claim outright, pointing to the realities of war and the need for strategic negotiations.

“No one here is claiming Vladimir Putin is going to get the Nobel Peace Prize this year, or whether he should be The Man of the Year of the Humanitarian Association,” Rubio said.

“What we’re arguing here is, he has a very large country on full war footing — they’re cranking out weapons now at a war-footing pace — and we need to figure out — is there a way to get them to stop the war?”

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Rubio emphasized that neither the Biden-Harris administration nor European leaders had attempted to bring Russia to the negotiating table.

“The only way you’re going to do that is to get Russians engaged in negotiations — something the Europeans haven’t been able to do; the Biden administration wasn’t able to do or didn’t even try,” Rubio continued.

“That’s the goal here; it’s that simple. Can we try to sit with them and figure out … what are the Russians’ demands? [Under] what conditions would the Russians be willing to stop this war? And we don’t know because we haven’t talked to them in three years.”

.@SecRubio tells it exactly like it is: “No one here is claiming Vladamir Putin is going to get the Nobel Peace Prize … We need to figure out — is there a way to get them to stop the war? And the only way you’re going to do that is to get Russians engaged in negotiations.” pic.twitter.com/h6f04sI2gR

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 2, 2025

Rubio also pointed out what he called a double standard in the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy.

He noted that while the White House has pressured Israel to halt its war against Hamas, it has not applied the same urgency toward pushing Ukraine and Russia toward a ceasefire.

“We’ve been nice [to Ukraine] by comparison,” Rubio stated, referring to the lack of pressure on Zelensky to engage in peace talks.

Pressed by George Stephanopoulos, Secretary of State Marco Rubio argues the U.S. has pressured Israel more than Ukraine, defending Trump’s approach to bringing Russia to the negotiating table.

“We have been nice by comparison.”https://t.co/naPDhqKTJy pic.twitter.com/2YfqBkcWIP

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 2, 2025

The remarks come after Trump made it clear that his administration will not provide unlimited financial or military support to Ukraine unless Zelensky signals a willingness to negotiate with Russia.

The debate over U.S. involvement in Ukraine has intensified in recent months.

The Biden-Harris administration has sent over $175 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began, with additional funding requests pending in Congress.

Meanwhile, Republicans, including Trump and his cabinet members, have argued that the U.S. should shift its focus toward securing peace rather than fueling an indefinite conflict.

Rubio acknowledged that any peace deal would require enforcement and long-term safeguards but argued that the first step is to open negotiations.

“Ultimately, like any truce — like any peace agreement, anywhere in the world — those things will have to be enforced; they’ll have to be enduring; there’ll have to be safeguards put in place, everybody understands that. But it begins with a first step, and that is engaging them to see if that is even possible,” Rubio said.

“Because if it’s not possible, then what we’re looking at is a protracted stalemate, with thousands of people dying, billions of dollars pouring in, and more death and destruction, and that’s not something the president wants to do.”

Trump has made it clear that his administration will not engage further with Zelensky unless he is prepared to discuss a ceasefire with Russia.

Despite pressure from Democrats and the media, Trump’s position remains that the U.S. should not be bankrolling an endless war with no clear path to resolution.

Meanwhile, as Rubio and other Trump officials push for a diplomatic approach, Democratic leaders continue to advocate for further military aid, urging Congress to approve more funding for Ukraine.

The coming weeks are expected to bring further debate as both sides stake out their positions on America’s role in the conflict.

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