Rubio on possible sanctions against Russia: Trump is patient, but his patience is not infinite

He made this statement during a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"[The conflict] that's proved to be an extraordinarily challenge has been the war in Ukraine, between Russia and Ukraine," Rubio said.

He noted that President Trump, together with his team, has been working "tirelessly" on a resolution, investing a tremendous amount of his own time and energy. At the same time, Rubio added, the war cannot be ended militarily.

"It will end at a negotiating table. That's where this war will end. But the longer it lasts, the more people will die, the more will be destroyed," he said.

According to him, the U.S. president "has shown extraordinary patience in terms of not assessing additional sanctions [against Russia] in the hopes of having a breakthrough in this regard." However, Rubio continued, the situation is now moving toward deeper escalation, with a record number of strikes compared to earlier. "And now we are also watching incursions into neighboring airspace by both [Russian] drones and airplanes," he said.

Rubio stressed that Trump is committed to peace, but his patience is not infinite.

"He has before him the opportunity and the options of imposing additional economic costs on the Russian Federation, if necessary, in order to bring this to an end," he said.

Rubio added that Trump also has the option "to sell defensive weaponry, and potentially offensive weaponry, so that Ukraine can defend itself from this assault by purchasing that weaponry." He also stressed that the United States remains committed to a peaceful settlement.

 But there will come a moment in which we will have to conclude that perhaps there is no interest in a peaceful resolution, and then the President has before him real options, which he intends to pursue, as he has made clear today in some of the messages he has put out," Rubio said.

He called on UN member states to do everything possible to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.