LOS ANGELES.–Called out by his former Senate colleagues on his Ukraine policy, 53-year-old Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced unwarranted criticism, with Democrats saying they wished they didn’t vote for his confirmation. Rubio burnished his reputation, as Cuban exile, a tough anti-Communist voice in the U.S. Senate, a strong backer of 82-year-old former President Joe Biden’s proxy war in Ukraine with the Kremlin. Rubio, like everyone else in the Senate, was told that 72-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin suffered from a terminal illness when the war started Feb. 24, 2022. Biden was also told the Russian military was near collapse, prompting former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to brief Senators on the Armed Services Committee that the aim of the Ukraine was to degrade the Russian military to the point it could no longer wage wars.
So, when it comes to Rubio’s prior views on Ukraine, was a true believer of Biden’s anti-Kremlin policy. Since taking his post with Trump, Rubio seems to have modified his position about Kremlin ambitions, no longer believing that the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion was “unprovoked and unjustified.” Rubio’s former Senate colleagues call him out as a hypocrite for doing a 180 on Ukraine now that he’s working for Trump. Trump said if he were still president in 2022 the war would have never happened, something war hawks in Congress dispute. But Trump would not have kept arming Ukraine over Kremlin objections, averting the necessity of Putin’s “special military operation” designed to demilitarize Ukraine. No one in Congress or the European Union admits that Biden pushed Putin into invading Ukraine, a clear provocation because of arms transfers to Ukraine.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), 79, blasted Rubio for sucking up to Trump, giving him no credit for seeing a new light on Ukraine. Biden was the first and only U.S. president to trash 80-years of diplomacy, détente and arms control with Russia, leading to a global partnership. Biden’s Russian foreign policy turned a global partner into a mortal enemy, something Blumenthal and other Democrats aren’t concerned about. “His position now is secretary of sycophants, now secretary of state,” said Blumenthal, showing he’s one of the most anti-Trump partisans in Congress. Rubio thought he was doing the right thing at the time when Putin invaded Ukraine. But after looking at the big picture, he realizes that the war is not. Blumenthal gives Rubio no credit at all. Blumenthal gives Rubio no credit at all from moving on from Biden’s failed Ukraine strategy.
Before Rubio received Trump’s nomination for Secretary of State, he discussed extensively the Ukraine War and Trump’s plan to end it. Rubio listened to Trump’s position that keeping the U.S. mortal enemies with Russia was not a good for foreign policy and national security. What finally clicked for Rubio was the fact that Ukraine could not win the Ukraine War no matter what he was told initially about Putin’s health or the beleaguered state of the Russian military. Three years of war has devastated Ukraine, killed thousands, wrecked the economy and lost some 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign land. “Sen. Rubio, his words, his actions, his legislation, he was one way, and somehow when he walked through that door and took that oath to become secretary, the are not one and the same,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), blasting Rubio for working to end the Ukraine War.
War hawks in Congress, Democrats and Republicans, still want to continue the Biden policy of proxy war with the Kremlin. Well, Biden is no longer president and they want to hold Rubio’s feet to the fire for changing his position. Well, why haven’t war hawks in Congress changed their positions knowing Ukraine lost the war with Russia? What’s the value of continuing the Ukraine war when all it does is destroy Ukraine without any end in sight. Rubio understands Trump’s position that Ukraine cannot win the war with the Kremlin but, more importantly, the U.S. needs to return to normal relations with Russia for the purpose of global cooperation, peace and security. When you think about Trump’s position, he’s simply dealing with reality, not Biden’s fantasy that he’s going to vanquish the Kremlin. Zelensky still believes Biden’s fantasy.
Criticizing Rubio could not be more hypocritical for Congressional war hawks still looking to implement Biden’s proxy war with the Kremlin. Trump isn’t selling out a U.S. ally, he’s protecting U.S. foreign policy and national security, requiring the U.S. to get along with the Russian Federation. How does it help U.S. national security to have Russia as a U.S. enemy? Trump figured out that he must reset U.S.-Russian relations after Biden did everything to destroy them over the last four years. Ukraine’s 47-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky has blown more smoke than a Texas barbecue saying he just needs more cash and weapons to vanquish the Kremlin. Rubio hasn’t betrayed his own ethics or beliefs about Russia, he just realizes the futility of continuing the Ukraine War. Rubio now sees the value to keeping the Kremlin as a cooperative global partner, not an enemy.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
