Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, announced that the United States is adopting a “pragmatic foreign policy” approach following former President Trump’s election win.
Rubio told CNN that America must be “pragmatic and wise” in its international investments and dealings, particularly noting threats from the closer alliances of Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China.
The Florida senator pinpointed Russian hybrid warfare in Europe and NATO regions as an initial focus for the incoming Trump administration.
“We know that the Russians have been involved in attempted sabotage operations throughout Europe as a way of inflicting costs on nations in Europe that are assisting Ukraine, and I think that’s an area we need to focus on and that the Trump administration would make a priority, in my opinion,” Rubio told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, suggested on Wednesday that Trump’s victory opens doors for renewed Moscow-Washington relations, claiming “ordinary Americans are tired of the unprecedented lies, incompetence, and malice of the Biden administration.”
Dmitriev, with past ties to Trump’s team, commented, “This opens up new opportunities for resetting relations between Russia and the United States.”
Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov, during a briefing, remarked that U.S.-Russia relations are already at a historic low, making further deterioration unlikely.
However, he noted an opportunity for a new U.S. administration to engage more constructively with Russia.
“President Putin has repeatedly said that he is open to a constructive dialogue based on justice, equality, and mutual respect for each other’s concerns,” Peskov stated.
He did acknowledge that the current U.S. administration holds a divergent view, advising patience until January’s outcomes. Peskov also noted that Putin has no plans to congratulate Trump on retaking the White House.
On the flip side, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky didn’t hesitate to reach out to Trump on Wednesday.
“Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on his impressive election victory! I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine,” he tweeted.
Zelensky praised Trump’s “peace through strength” strategy, and expressed optimism for its application in achieving a peace in Ukraine.
Trump pledged to resolve the conflict in Ukraine before assuming office on January 20.
Watch Rubio’s interview here:
