Rubio on Ukraine and NATO [Excerpt from CBS News, January 15]

Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For Secretary Of State Nominee Marco Rubio
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) arrives to testify during his Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing at Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
The Florida Republican called for an end to the war in Ukraine, which has carried on for nearly three years since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. 

"This war has to end," he said, adding that there should be a "ceasefire." 

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the committee, asked Rubio about his seeming shift in what was once full-throated support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Rubio voted against a foreign aid package last April that included assistance for Ukraine, despite his earlier support for the country. During the 2024 campaign, Trump criticized the Biden administration for sending billions to Ukraine in aid. 

"I voted against that bill because I said I would not vote for a bill unless it addressed the crisis at our southern border as part of the overall arrangement," Rubio said. "That was not done, and so I voted against it. That said, here's my view of the situation: Once this war became what we now know it is, and that is, a war of attrition, a stalemate, a protracted conflict, the dynamic on that situation has changed. It has." 

From CBS News, January 15

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