The U.S. official acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin carried out "atrocities" and "horrible things" as part of his invasion of Ukraine but voiced doubts about Kyiv's prospects for a complete military victory.

Ukraine is being destroyed by the fighting with Russia and the conflict must be swiftly settled through negotiations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. In an interview on Sirius XM’s The Megyn Kelly Show on Thursday,

Yes, by all means, Secretary of State Marco Rubio should be “realistic” about Ukraine. Let’s win.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday the U.S. has not stopped military aid to Ukraine after newly sworn-in U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would pause foreign aid grants for 90 days. Zelenskyy did not clarify whether humanitarian aid had been paused. Ukraine relies on the U.S. for 40% of its military needs.

Tensions between the U.S. and China have been rising for some time now, and Rubio's appointment has widely been seen as a sign that Trump plans to maintain a hard line on China during his second term. One of the most outspoken China hawks in Washington, Rubio has introduced several bills targeting the Chinese Communist Party.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he had "zero doubt" that China has a contingency plan to shut down the Panama Canal in the event of a conflict with the U.S. and that Washington intends to address what it sees as a national security threat.

After taking the oath of office, Marco Rubio promised that every action taken by the State Department will be determined by the answers to three questions.

Former U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has officially been confirmed as the next U.S. secretary of state tasked with implementing President Trump's foreign policy agenda.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday issued a 90-day moratorium on most foreign aid spending, including to Ukraine.

Ukraine, as a result of the military conflict, was thrown back 100 years, its energy system was severely damaged, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

The new U.S. administration understands it is necessary to keep exerting pressure on Russia to end the Russo-Ukrainian war. — Ukrinform.