The Russian government has responded to comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently described the Ukraine war as a proxy conflict between the United States and Russia, a characterization that Moscow openly welcomed.

During an interview with Fox News, Rubio defended the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war, calling it “a proxy war between nuclear powers” and urging Ukraine not to stand in the way of peace negotiations. He also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, arguing that Kyiv’s resistance to diplomacy was hurting the chances for a resolution.

Marco Rubio says that the Ukrainian war is a protracted stalemated conflict and a proxy war between nuclear superpowers—the US and Russia—and one that needs to come to an end. Ukraine and its allies in Washington and Europe don’t have any plans on how to do that. pic.twitter.com/YEM6yvpPU6

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 6, 2025

So it is a proxy war after all. https://t.co/ZVFMvSbJsX pic.twitter.com/r1ULUupePl

— Anatomy II 🇨🇦 (@AnatomyII) March 6, 2025

The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Rubio’s remarks align with what Russia has been saying for years. “We can and want to agree with it, and we agree with it. That’s the way it is,” he said, reiterating that the war involves more than just Ukraine and is part of a broader confrontation between Russia and Western nations, with the United States leading the charge.

Before joining the Trump administration, Rubio had taken a more confrontational stance toward Russia. However, as secretary of state, he has shifted to supporting Trump’s goal of reaching a peace agreement, despite opposition from Kyiv.

Everyone knows it’s a proxy war — the only question is how long they’ll keep sacrificing Ukraine to avoid admitting it. pic.twitter.com/OAo17gg3GK

— TacticalEdge (@EdgeE50124) March 6, 2025

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦 Rubio just admitted the Ukraine war is a proxy war.

Funny how that used to be called "Russian propaganda," huh? pic.twitter.com/T5y1bRtUfF

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) March 6, 2025

Meanwhile, new reports continue to highlight the extent of U.S. involvement in Ukraine. A covert program, in place for over a decade, has allowed the CIA to train and equip Ukrainian intelligence forces. These efforts, which included setting up intelligence bases near the Russian border, have played a key role in the lead up to the current situation we find ourselves in.