Ukrainian strikes, Western sanctions impacting Russian economy: US Secy of State Marco Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ukrainian strikes and Western sanctions are hurting Russia’s economy. Talks continue on Ukraine producing missile-defence systems and drone cooperation. He stressed that US stockpiles come first and described the CIA director’s visit to Russia as routine.

Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, together with Western sanctions, are affecting the Russian economy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated, as Washington and Kyiv hold talks on arrangements that could enable Ukraine to produce advanced missile-defence systems. Rubio made the remarks in an interview on Wednesday (local time) while speaking about Russia’s backing for Iran and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

He said Russia faced its own difficulties that were occupying most of President Vladimir Putin’s attention. “Russia’s got, and Putin’s got his own set of problems that I think take up the majority of his time and focus, which is the war in -- with Ukraine, and frankly the impacts that these Ukrainian strikes are having on the Russian economy in combination with sanctions,” Rubio said.

The Secretary of State offered no figures on the scale of the economic impact and did not name particular Ukrainian strikes. His comments came as Ukraine has stepped up the use of long-range drones and other systems against military and energy-related sites inside Russia, while the United States and its partners maintain sanctions pressure on Moscow.

Rubio also spoke about Ukraine’s persistent calls for additional Patriot air-defence systems and interceptors. “The whole world is asking for more air interceptors. It’s become the number-one defence need on the planet – not just for Ukraine, but on the planet,” he said.

He noted that the United States has its own defence needs and must keep American stockpiles at required levels before supplying weapons elsewhere. “We have minimum requirements of our own, and those always have to be met before we can provide others,” he said.

Washington would keep supporting Ukraine “within the limits of our own availability and capability,” Rubio added. When asked whether the United States opposed granting Ukraine licences to produce missile-defence systems, Rubio revealed that talks were already under way.

“Well, that’s being negotiated as we speak,” he said. He warned, however, that any such arrangement would not quickly ease Ukraine’s shortage of air-defence weapons.

“Ramping up production, even if you have a licence, is something that takes multiple years to build these factories,” he said. “These are highly sophisticated weaponry. So that’s being negotiated now. That may come to fruition, but it really won’t solve the short-term challenge that they’re pointing to.”

Rubio further said the United States was exploring possible cooperation with Ukraine on drone technology. “If there’s a deal that makes sense for the United States, I think we’re pursuing those, and we’re negotiating those, and those are all a work in progress,” he said.

He had no announcement to make at present but confirmed continued US interest in partnerships that could also strengthen American defences. Separately, Rubio played down speculation about CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recent visit to Russia.

He dismissed reports linking the visit to a possible trilateral meeting involving President Donald Trump, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he did not know the source of such claims. “That trip was primarily a routine one. It is not unprecedented,” Rubio said.

He stressed that the United States needs to keep channels of communication open with Russia despite deep geopolitical differences, including contacts between the two countries’ intelligence services. “His visit there was largely routine in that sense of just establishing and continuing to build these intel-to-intel communication channels,” Rubio said, noting that such links could prove valuable in a crisis or conflict. (ANI)