U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States cannot fund Ukraine indefinitely.
As reported by "Hvylya", the official made these remarks in an interview with Fox News.
Rubio called such expectations unrealistic, noting that this has been the message for some time.
"Some people have the idea that our policy should be to fund Ukraine indefinitely, no matter how long the war lasts. That is unrealistic. It is not grounded in reality. It is not going to happen. We have been saying that for a long time," he said.
The Secretary emphasized that the U.S. cannot sustain this scale (likely referring to financial aid to prolong the war). At the same time, he believes it is unrealistic for Russia to continue fighting for another 4-5 years.
Rubio noted that on paper, one would have assumed Russia would overrun Ukraine in three weeks. Even "the president once said, 'wow.'" However, in reality, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled the Russian advance.
"People forget... that at one point in this war, Russia controlled much more Ukrainian territory than it does now. If you look at the map from March or April after the invasion and compare it to the map now—the Ukrainians have pushed the Russians back significantly," the Secretary stated.
Furthermore, the official noted that Ukraine has already achieved a great deal through its bravery and courage. However, at this stage, the conflict has turned into a war of attrition.
Among other points, Rubio believes the key issue in the Russo-Ukrainian war is territory.
"Right now, Ukraine and the Russian Federation are effectively fighting over 30-50 km of territory—this is about 20% of the Donbas remaining under Kyiv's control," he said.
According to him, the Russians are losing 7,000 soldiers every week.
The Secretary also noted that the U.S. aims to end the Russo-Ukrainian war, ensure the sides do not attack each other, and protect Ukraine's sovereignty and independence so it does not become a puppet state.
"We believe now is the ideal time to end the war," the report states.
In addition, Washington wants Ukraine's economy to "not just recover, but thrive" after the war.
In Rubio's view, if the "right things" are done, Ukraine's GDP could eventually surpass Russia's.
It was previously reported that U.S. representatives for peace negotiations with Russia, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, allegedly canceled a planned meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
