Jason Delgado
Sen. Marco Rubio said Friday the people of Ukraine are not only an inspiration to Americans, but a solemn reminder of the fragility of freedom.
Speaking at CPAC in Orlando, Rubio highlighted the resolve of Ukraine’s young and old to resist the Russian military invasion.
A foreign policy hawk, he applauded reports of Ukrainians taking arms and vowing to fight military forces, even if outgunned and outnumbered.
In particular, he referenced audio of Ukraine soldiers telling a Russian warship to ‘go f**k yourself’ when asked to surrender. All 13 Ukraine soldiers defending Snake Island died in the attack, the Guardian reports.
“It reminds you how valuable freedom and liberty are,” Rubio said. “These are people that are basically saying, ‘We refuse to be slaves. We refuse to live under tyranny. We’re prepared to give our life and die for it.'”
While Ukraine remains tangled in a conflict against Russia, Rubio warned Americans that attendees are fighting a battle of their own against Marxism.
The Ukraine and Russia conflict, Rubio said, should remind Americans how quickly “freedom” and “liberty” can be lost.
“No one here is being asked to die,” he added. “No one here is being asked to take up arms to defend it. We’re being asked to win elections, to speak out, to be courageous, to raise our voices, to call it out for what it is.”
Ukrainian forces and civilians continue to fend off a Russian invasion in what is the largest European conflict since World War II.
Rubio’s remarks came during a roughly 10-minute speech at CPAC. In it, he tackled a slew of issues including cancel culture, COVID-19 policies and the uniqueness of American life.
CPAC — the Conservative Political Action Conference — is a four-day gathering of conservative leaders, figures and supporters in Orlando.
Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to attendees Thursday. Former President Donald Trump is slated to speak Saturday.
