US Secretary of State Congratulates Russians on Russia Day

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has congratulated Russian citizens on Russia day, using the occasion to quietly underscore Washington’s call for a possible peace deal in Ukraine.

In a brief statement released by the State Department on Friday, Rubio congratulated Russian citizens on Russia Day, linking the holiday message to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the Russian people on Russia Day,” Rubio said, adding that the “United States remains committed to advancing a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine war,” and expressing hope that a peace deal will help pave the way “toward a more prosperous future for the Russian people and a more constructive relationship between our two countries.”

While the statement did not outline any new diplomatic initiatives, it reaffirmed Rubio’s recent public comments that the conflict should end through negotiations rather than a decisive military victory by either side.

In his last month’s remarks, Rubio described Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as devastating to both sides, reiterating Washington’s desire for a resolution.

“You have people dying in massive numbers on both sides,” he said, adding that Ukraine is going to spend at least two decades rebuilding its cities, while Russia has faced major economic loss, with Moscow losing “five times as many soldiers” as Kyiv.

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Stalled peace efforts

In comments on stalled peace efforts, Rubio has argued that a negotiated settlement is the only realistic path forward, expressing US readiness to facilitate talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Although Washington remains interested in supporting diplomatic efforts, Rubio has admitted that progress on negotiations has slowed down in recent months.

“We just sort of sensed that there wasn’t a lot of progress being made,” he said, explaining that the US is not interested in “getting involved in an endless cycle of meetings that lead to nothing.”

At the same time, Rubio has presented the US as the only realistic mediator both sides are prepared to deal with.

“I think we’re the only country in the world that can [mediate],” Rubio said. “Both sides keep telling us we’re the only ones that can. In the end, the president wants to see the war end. And if it’s something he can do and we can do to help it end, we’re going to do it.”

Ukraine “in queue” as US remains busy with Iran

While Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s readiness to mediate in the negotiations, the visible slowdown in diplomacy amid the war in the Middle East is positioning Ukraine “in the queue” of global crises, as President Volodymyr Zelensky put it.

Despite Ukrainian officials calling for greater US pressure on Moscow and for more support, the Iran crisis now dominates US foreign policy bandwidth even as Russia intensifies strikes on Ukraine.