Rubio on Marc Fogel’s Release from Russia: ‘Good Sign’ with Regard to Cooperation to End Ukraine War

COLLINS And Secretary Rubio ░░░░░░░░ you walk us through ░░░░░░░░ was behind the decision ░░░░░░░░ to have Steve Witkoff ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen playing ░░░░░░░░ critical role in a ░░░░░░░░ of these foreign policy ░░░░░░░░ go directly to Russia ░░░░░░░░ of a third party ░░░░░░░░ What should that what ░░░░░░░░ that tell us Rubio ░░░░░░░░ he went to pick ░░░░░░░░ Marc Fogel I mean ░░░░░░░░ s where he was ░░░░░░░░ he went there to ░░░░░░░░ him and bring him ░░░░░░░░ and we re grateful ░░░░░░░░ his willingness to do ░░░░░░░░ on his own airplane ░░░░░░░░ his own dime You ░░░░░░░░ it s a great ░░░░░░░░ to this country And ░░░░░░░░ he s he s ░░░░░░░░ talented He s a ░░░░░░░░ talented man very savvy ░░░░░░░░ business But he went ░░░░░░░░ there to pick him ░░░░░░░░ and bring him back ░░░░░░░░ we re grateful to ░░░░░░░░ for his willingness to ░░░░░░░░ it He s been ░░░░░░░░ great asset to the ░░░░░░░░ And I just go ░░░░░░░░ look the president has ░░░░░░░░ it a priority he ░░░░░░░░ been in office now ░░░░░░░░ three weeks he s ░░░░░░░░ it a priority to ░░░░░░░░ back as many Americans ░░░░░░░░ are overseas and detained ░░░░░░░░ ve seen that focus ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ very positive thing And ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ as well for our ░░░░░░░░ to communicate with Russia ░░░░░░░░ mean we d like ░░░░░░░░ see this war in ░░░░░░░░ come to an end ░░░░░░░░ fair end a fair ░░░░░░░░ a just peace an ░░░░░░░░ peace But obviously you ░░░░░░░░ it s always good ░░░░░░░░ see these things They ░░░░░░░░ not linked but I ░░░░░░░░ think it s a ░░░░░░░░ sign that they re ░░░░░░░░ to be cooperative in ░░░░░░░░ way And obviously you ░░░░░░░░ it s a small ░░░░░░░░ forward they re not ░░░░░░░░ linked together but anytime ░░░░░░░░ American is coming home ░░░░░░░░ should be excited about ░░░░░░░░ and we certainly are ░░░░░░░░ Yeah This is the ░░░░░░░░ time we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ senior U S official ░░░░░░░░ we know of that ░░░░░░░░ gone to Russia since ░░░░░░░░ I believe since before ░░░░░░░░ invaded Ukraine So Secretary ░░░░░░░░ in your role what ░░░░░░░░ this mean And what ░░░░░░░░ this signal about what ░░░░░░░░ be next for for ░░░░░░░░ an end to that ░░░░░░░░ which obviously President Trump ░░░░░░░░ talked about at length ░░░░░░░░ Well there s even ░░░░░░░░ we speak there are ░░░░░░░░ people involved You know ░░░░░░░░ vice president the Treasury ░░░░░░░░ are in Europe I ░░░░░░░░ be there later this ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Hegseth is in ░░░░░░░░ now So we ll ░░░░░░░░ talking to our European ░░░░░░░░ we ll be talking ░░░░░░░░ the Ukrainians I ll ░░░░░░░░ meeting with them later ░░░░░░░░ week so will the ░░░░░░░░ president I think the ░░░░░░░░ Treasury secretary Bessent is ░░░░░░░░ to be meeting with ░░░░░░░░ as well So there ░░░░░░░░ a lot to engage ░░░░░░░░ This is a difficult ░░░░░░░░ It s a complicated ░░░░░░░░ And it s not ░░░░░░░░ about bringing an end ░░░░░░░░ it The president s ░░░░░░░░ clear he wants to ░░░░░░░░ an end to it ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ people dying and a ░░░░░░░░ of destruction but it ░░░░░░░░ about a fair one ░░░░░░░░ in which Ukraine remains ░░░░░░░░ country that s sovereign ░░░░░░░░ independent and we can ░░░░░░░░ an end to this ░░░░░░░░ costly and destructive conflict ░░░░░░░░ s a long way ░░░░░░░░ go between here and ░░░░░░░░ It s not going ░░░░░░░░ be easy And again ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ that what s happening ░░░░░░░░ tonight is in any ░░░░░░░░ the first step towards ░░░░░░░░ but I do think ░░░░░░░░ s a good sign ░░░░░░░░ the Russians were willing ░░░░░░░░ do something in this ░░░░░░░░ and hopefully we can ░░░░░░░░ on that in the ░░░░░░░░ to come COLLINS What ░░░░░░░░ you think made them ░░░░░░░░ willing to do this ░░░░░░░░ President Trump I think ░░░░░░░░ they want to have ░░░░░░░░ relationship with him and ░░░░░░░░ think they want they ░░░░░░░░ that this is a ░░░░░░░░ that comes from a ░░░░░░░░ of strength not a ░░░░░░░░ of weakness who s ░░░░░░░░ his feelings pretty clear ░░░░░░░░ over the last few ░░░░░░░░ So I think you ░░░░░░░░ there s not a ░░░░░░░░ that we re seeing ░░░░░░░░ happen under President Trump ░░░░░░░░ were not possible under ░░░░░░░░ previous administration So like ░░░░░░░░ said look there s ░░░░░░░░ lot of hard work ░░░░░░░░ to bring an end ░░░░░░░░ that conflict and deal ░░░░░░░░ all the other things ░░░░░░░░ on in the world ░░░░░░░░ are very complicated But ░░░░░░░░ is a happy occasion ░░░░░░░░ for the Fogel family ░░░░░░░░ for so many who ░░░░░░░░ him who were so ░░░░░░░░ about him for so ░░░░░░░░