US President Donald Trump dramatically changed his position on Russia this week, introducing the first direct sanctions of his second term – a sudden shift that was reportedly influenced in part by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, APA reports quoting Bloomberg.
Unnamed sources told Bloomberg that Rubio cancelled a planned in-person meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the two spoke by phone and it became clear the Kremlin was once again seeking to stall ceasefire talks and prolong the war.
The US state secretary judged that Moscow had made no meaningful changes to its position, according to American and European sources familiar with the matter.
Rubio's influence on the administration's change of course reflects his broader role as the top US diplomat. He has also pushed for a more assertive approach towards Venezuela while serving as Trump's acting national security adviser.
His stance contrasts with the more conciliatory strategy on Russia advocated by Trump's long-time friend and special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
White House press secretary Anna Kelly rejected this characterisation of Rubio's role.
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