The future U.S. Secretary of State believes Ukraine and Russia must make concessions to end the war.

He stated this during hearings in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 15.

New Hampshire Senator Jean Shaheen asked Rubio if his views on Ukraine had changed since he voted against the military aid bill for Kyiv, and whether the U.S. should ensure Ukraine has "the strongest possible negotiating position."

Initially, Rubio explained that he voted against the aid bill to Ukraine in light of the migration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. He also noted that he disagreed with the Biden administration regarding assistance to Ukraine, as he claimed the White House "never clearly defined how this conflict would end."

Rubio further emphasized that the war has become "protracted" and "stalled." He echoed Trump's words that this is a war "of extinction," reminding everyone of his call to "stop the killings."

"The destruction that Ukraine is facing is extraordinary. It will take a whole generation to rebuild. Millions of Ukrainians have left Ukraine. Even at this moment, as I speak, Ukrainian infrastructure is being destroyed, and its restoration will already cost hundreds of billions of dollars," the politician noted.

Therefore, he stated that the official position of the United States should be to put an end to the war.

According to the senator, in this war, Russia cannot capture all of Ukraine, but at the same time, "it is unrealistic to believe that somehow a country the size of Ukraine will defeat the Russian Federation."

"There is no way for Ukraine to push [the Russians] back to the territory they occupied before the invasion," the future chief diplomat of the U.S. added.

Rubio also mentioned that Ukraine is running out of not money, but people. At the same time, the future Secretary of State acknowledged that ending the Russian-Ukrainian war would be "a challenging endeavor," but it would "require bold diplomacy."

"I hope this can start with a ceasefire, and to achieve goals in the war, it is important for everyone to be realistic. The Russian Federation will have to make concessions, but Ukraine will also [have to do so]. It is crucial to find a balance between both sides," he concluded.

Rubio stressed that the U.S. must not allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to return to his plans for seizing Ukraine in four to five years.

Recall that earlier, the special envoy of the elected U.S. president regarding Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, stated that he aims to find a solution to the war within 100 days after Trump's inauguration. However, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst considers even this timeline "too optimistic."