Trump has economic sanctions options to stop escalation of hostilities, - Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that when it becomes clear that Russia has no interest in a peaceful resolution to the war against Ukraine, US President Donald Trump may resort to strong sanctions pressure.
His words were reported by Censor.NET with reference to Ukrinform.
"It will end at the negotiating table – that is where this war will end. But the longer it lasts, the more people will die, the more destruction there will be," Rubio said.
According to him, the US president "has shown extraordinary patience, avoiding additional sanctions (against Russia – ed.) in the hope of a breakthrough on this issue." Instead, Rubio continued, the current situation is heading towards a deeper escalation of the conflict, with a record number of strikes than before. "And now we are also seeing incursions into neighbouring airspace by both (Russian – ed.) drones and aircraft," he added.
The Secretary of State reiterated that the US President is committed to peace, but his patience is not unlimited.
"He has the ability and options to impose additional economic sanctions against Russia if necessary to put an end to this development," the head of American diplomacy emphasised.
He also noted that Trump has everything he needs to sell "defensive and, obviously, offensive weapons so that Ukraine can defend itself against these attacks." The head of the State Department also stressed that the United States remains committed to a peaceful settlement.
"But there will be a point where we will have to conclude that, obviously, (Russia – Ed.) has no interest in a peaceful solution. And then the president will have real options that he will implement, as he clearly emphasised today in some of his statements," Rubio stressed.
