Rubio Meets with Zelensky Aide as Russian Strikes Escalate

Senator Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff on Monday to discuss a surge in Russian missile strikes, including one that reportedly hit a Ukrainian government building in Kyiv using a ballistic missile.

Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s top aide, said the attack marked the first time Russia has targeted a central government facility with such a weapon. The missile strike, launched via a Russian Iskander system, comes amid what Ukraine calls the biggest air assault of the war to date.

“They kill civilians and children, destroy our infrastructure,” Yermak said on Telegram after his meeting with Rubio. “The enemy attacked the Ukrainian Government building.”

Along with discussing the ongoing strikes, Yermak and Rubio talked about:

• Continued U.S. military aid to Ukraine,

• Potential security guarantees from Western allies,

• And applying greater pressure on Moscow through sanctions and strategic coordination.

Yermak also held a video call with national security advisors from the UK, France, Germany, and Italy all part of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing.” According to Yermak, the goal is to “further strengthen Ukraine’s position” amid Russia’s growing aggression.

But the real shift in momentum may not be coming from the Senate it's coming from President Donald Trump, who over the weekend signaled that new restrictions on Russia are imminent. Following Sunday’s airstrike in Kyiv, which set fire to a major government facility, Trump stated he was ready to move into the “second phase” of sanctions the first coordinated effort between the U.S. and Europe since he returned to office.

While Rubio’s trip sends a message of solidarity, Trump’s stance is sending shockwaves through Brussels. The European Union’s chief sanctions official arrived in Washington this week with a team of experts to finalize what would be the first transatlantic sanctions package under the new Trump administration.

And this time, the approach appears different.

Unlike the blank-check policies of the Biden era, Trump’s strategy seems aimed at maximum impact with minimal entanglement more punishment for Moscow, less money wasted in endless proxy wars.

Meanwhile, U.S. voters are increasingly skeptical of foreign entanglements. A recent poll from the Pew Research Center showed that 48% of Americans now oppose additional military aid to Ukraine, up sharply from last year.

The contrast couldn’t be clearer:

• Democrats continue backing endless spending bills with no clear endgame.

• Trump and Republicans are focusing on strategic pressure without dragging America into another unwinnable war.

• Ukraine is facing real threats, but so is the U.S. from open borders to economic turmoil.

The question isn't whether we care about Ukrainian sovereignty. The question is whether we’re willing to sacrifice American priorities to bankroll another European conflict.

Trump’s message? Help where we can but America comes first.

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