I Don't Think It's Serious: Rubio on Zelensky's Proposal

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he does not consider the proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to provide Ukraine with nuclear weapons as a security guarantee, should the country not join NATO, to be realistic. Rubio made these comments in an interview with Matthew Boyle, a reporter from the ultra-conservative Breitbart news outlet. Excerpts from the interview surfaced on social media on February 25.

“I don’t think this is a serious offer on their part. I also don’t think that acquiring nuclear weapons solves the problem. I haven’t heard them say that. So, if he (Zelensky) is saying this, then I don’t think it is a realistic demand. We need fewer nuclear countries, not more,” Rubio remarked.

On February 4, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that if Ukraine's NATO membership is delayed for years or decades, then Western countries should provide Ukraine with nuclear weapons so it can defend itself against Russia. The Kremlin responded by saying that Zelensky’s proposal