"I think it should be the official position of the United States that this war should be brought to an end," Rubio said during a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when asked to elaborate on his decision late last year to vote against aid to Ukraine.
The 53-year-old admitted that "this is not going to be an easy endeavor" and called for "everyone to be realistic." He suggested that conflict settlement could start with "some ceasefire" and require concessions by both Russia and Ukraine.
Rubio pointed to a change in the dynamic of the Ukraine conflict, saying it has become a "war of attrition" and "stalemate." He believes there is "no way Russia takes all of Ukraine."
"It's also unrealistic to believe that somehow a nation the size of Ukraine — no matter how incompetent and no matter how much damage the Russian Federation has suffered as a result of this invasion — there is no way Ukraine is also going to push these people all the way back to where they were on the eve of the invasion," Rubio added.