{"id":2408202,"date":"2025-02-28T22:07:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T03:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rubio-zelensky-should-apologize-for-oval-office-fiasco\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T22:08:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-01T03:08:00","slug":"rubio-zelensky-should-apologize-for-oval-office-fiasco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rubio-zelensky-should-apologize-for-oval-office-fiasco\/","title":{"rendered":"Rubio: Zelensky should apologize for Oval Office &#8216;fiasco&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frubio-zelensky-should-apologize-for-oval-office-fiasco%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2408202&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a recent exchange during a meeting at the\u2062 White \u200dHouse, \u2062Secretary \u200cof state Marco Rubio defended President\u2063 Donald \u200cTrump adn Vice \u2064President JD Vance against criticisms \u2062directed at Ukrainian President\u2062 Volodymyr Zelensky.The discussion escalated when \u200dTrump referred to Zelensky as a dictator and falsely claimed that Ukraine instigated the war. Rubio \u200dsuggested that Zelensky should apologize for the situation,\u2063 asserting that aggressive rhetoric towards Russia\u200c would \u200dhinder peace \u2062negotiations. He emphasized\u200c Trump&#8217;s deal-making\u2063 expertise, arguing that attacking Putin complicates \u2064efforts to bring Russia to the \u2063negotiating table. Following the tense meeting,Zelensky \u2063stated he would not apologize,maintaining that his conduct was respectful. The incident led to\u200d the cancellation of further discussions and prompted Zelensky&#8217;s early departure.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Rubio: Zelensky should apologize for &lsquo;fiasco,&rsquo; says attacking Putin gets you nowhere<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2024448\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Secretary of State <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\">Marco Rubio<\/a> offered a full-throated defense of President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> and Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\">JD Vance<\/a> after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3333643\/trump-lambastes-zelensky-oval-office\/\">their explosive exchange<\/a> with Ukrainian President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/volodymyr-zelensky\/\">Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> in the Oval Office on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Trump in recent days has seemingly turned on Zelensky, calling him a dictator and falsely claiming that Ukraine started the war three years ago. Tensions boiled over Friday at what was intended to be a meeting to secure the U.S. with a supply of rare earth minerals in exchange for millions of dollars to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3334169\/trump-zelenksy-deal-dead-oval-office-shouting-match\/\">Trump-Zelenksy deal is &#8216;dead&#8217; after Oval Office shouting match<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/education\/3334238\/education-department-offers-employees-buyout-up-to-25000\/\">Education Department offers employees buyout worth up to $25,000<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3334219\/zelensky-says-he-does-not-owe-trump-an-apology\/\">Zelensky says he does not owe Trump an apology for Oval Office meltdown<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Speaking with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/02\/28\/politics\/rubio-zelensky-apology-trump-cnntv\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"CNN&rsquo;s Kaitlin Collins\">CNN&rsquo;s Kaitlan Collins<\/a>, Rubio said Zelensky should &ldquo;apologize for turning this thing into the fiasco for him that it became.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are trying to bring it to an end &mdash; the way you bring it to an end is you get Russia to the table to talk. [Trump] understands that attacking Putin, no matter how anyone may feel about him personally, forces the president into a position where you&rsquo;re trying to goad him into&nbsp;attacking Putin, calling him names, maximalist demands,&rdquo; Rubio said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When you start talking about that aggressively, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-taking-regeneron-drug-remdesivir-therapy-for-coronavirus-diagnosis-ex-wh-doctor-explains\/\" title=\"... taking Regeneron drug, Remdesivir therapy for coronavirus diagnosis: ex-WH doctor explains\">president&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ron-klain-trump-criticism-sour-grapes-because-in-four-years-he-never-passed-infrastructure\/\" title=\"Ron Klain: ... Criticism &#039;Sour Grapes&#039; Because in Four Years He Never Passed Infrastructure\">deal maker<\/a>. He&rsquo;s made deals his entire life. You&rsquo;re not going to get people to the table. And so you start to perceive that maybe Zelensky doesn&rsquo;t want a peace deal,&rdquo; Rubio added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C. To Trump&rsquo;s left are Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Photo by Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Rubio&rsquo;s demeanor in the interview was a change from his stance during the exchange at the White House, where he looked visibly uncomfortable sitting next to the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">vice president<\/a> during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3333696\/heated-oval-office-exchange-trump-vance-zelensky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">the heated exchange<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump scolded Zelensky, and Vance said the Ukrainian president was being &ldquo;disrespectful.&rdquo; The meeting resulted in the cancellation of a sit-down lunch, a scheduled joint press conference, and Zelensky&rsquo;s early exit from the White House. Zelensky is heading to London this evening.<\/p>\n<p>Zelensky said he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3334219\/zelensky-says-he-does-not-owe-trump-an-apology\/\">would not apologize<\/a> for the interaction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I respect [the] president and I respect American people. And I&rsquo;m not sure that we did something bad,&rdquo; Zelensky told Fox News&rsquo;s Bret Baier hours after the White House spectacle.<\/p>\n<p>The Oval Office meeting began derailing when a Polish reporter posed a question about Putin being a dictator. Rubio, who in the Senate was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qA8kaGnf4ro\">staunchly<\/a> anti-Putin, reiterated to CNN that calling Putin names would not bode well in peace negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The president, who&rsquo;s the ultimate deal maker, knows you don&rsquo;t get people to a negotiating table when you&rsquo;re calling them names and you&rsquo;re accusing them of things because at the end of the day, this is not a political campaign, OK?&rdquo; Rubio added later.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/3333051\/putin-willing-end-pause-ukraine-war\/\"><strong>IS PUTIN WILLING TO END OR PAUSE THE UKRAINE WAR?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When additionally pressed by Collins about previously calling Putin a &ldquo;butcher,&rdquo; Rubio said, &ldquo;At this moment, as secretary of state, my job, working for the president, is to deliver peace, to end this conflict and end this war. Ultimately, that is the job of the State Department.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The State Department doesn&rsquo;t fight wars,&rdquo; Rubio said. &ldquo;It ends them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2024448\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2024448\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rubio: Zelensky should apologize for &#8216;fiasco&#8217;; attacking Putin is unproductive<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2408203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Rubio-Oval-office-zelensky.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[5447,35056,36160,5438,8630],"class_list":["post-2408202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-apology","tag-oval-office","tag-political-controversy","tag-rubio","tag-zelensky"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Rubio-Oval-office-zelensky.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2408202"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2408206,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408202\/revisions\/2408206"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2408203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2408202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2408202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2408202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}