Rubio says Trump 'losing patience with Russia,' despite giving Putin 50-day peace deal deadline
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised U.S. President Donald Trump as "the ultimate closer" and said Trump is "losing his patience" with Russia over the war in Ukraine, in a televised interview with Fox News on July 26.
Rubio's remarks come nearly two weeks after Trump gave Russia a 50-day deadline to agree to a peace deal or face "severe" tariffs. Since the announcement, Russia has only intensified its assault on Ukrainian cities and continued to advance along the front line.
Rubio said Trump is eager to secure a peace deal and end the war he "inherited" from the Biden administration, and described the president's growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Despite having very good interactions with Vladimir Putin and phone calls, it never leads to anything," Rubio said. "So, the time has come for some action."
Critics say Trump's latest 50-day timeline effectively gives the Kremlin seven more weeks to continue launching deadly airstrikes across Ukraine. The proposed tariffs, at around 100%, are also below the 500% rates proposed in a bipartisan Senate bill targeting countries that buy Russian oil.
Rubio also acknowledged in the Fox News interview China's growing role in prolonging the war, accusing Beijing of propping up Moscow's economy and military efforts.
"China is giving Russia as much aid as they can get away with without being discovered," Rubio said. "There's no way Putin could have sustained this war without Chinese support, particularly buying his oil."
Rubio also highlighted the geopolitical triangle between Russia, China, and Iran, suggesting Beijing benefits from a prolonged war that keeps the U.S. distracted.
Following talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing earlier in July, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to deepen strategic cooperation and hailed the partnership as "a model for a new type of international relations."
Despite China's repeated claims of neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war, its support for Russia's economy and defense industry has established Beijing as one of Moscow's most crucial partners.
Ukrainian officials reported the presence of Chinese components in Russian attack drones, and intelligence suggests Beijing may be helping Moscow bypass sanctions to ramp up drone production.
