Marco Rubio speaks to Ukrainian official, suggests UN can help bring peace with Russia

Marco Rubio's move to Foggy Bottom seems increasingly likely after his confirmation hearing.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio  continues to work on bringing an end to the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Per a readout from the State Department, he talked on Friday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, in what is described as “the latest in multiple high-level engagements between U.S. and Ukrainian leaders to achieve a durable peace.”

Rubio endeavored to “reaffirm President Donald Trump’s commitment to ending the conflict in Ukraine, including through effective action in the United Nations Security Council.”

The call with the Foreign Minister came after a “very upset” Rubio accused Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy of reneging on an agreement to give the United States mineral rights in the country as a condition of brokering peace, in order to defray costs incurred supporting Kyiv against the Russian invasion that started three years ago.

“We discussed this issue about the mineral rights, and we explained to them, look, we want to be in a joint venture with you — not because we’re trying to steal from your country, but because we think that’s actually a security guarantee,” Rubio told interviewer Catherine Herridge.

“If we’re your partner in an important economic endeavor, we get to get paid back some of the money the taxpayers have given — close to $200 billion. And it also — now we have a vested interest in the security of Ukraine.”

Rubio previously noted that peace could be secured if the U.S. were positioned, post-hostilities, to “partner with Ukraine… for their mineral rights.”

In the interview circulated Thursday, he recounts that Zelenskyy said the proposal “makes all the sense in the world” and said the Legislature would have to approve it — but the Ukrainian leader reversed his rhetoric in short order.