All Hell Breaks Loose When Sec. Marco Rubio Refuses To Call Vladimir Putin A War Criminal

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At a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) questioned Sec. Marco Rubio about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Transcript

00:00I recognize Representative Keating. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will miss my seatmate, Jerry Connolly.

00:07He loved sitting here, and we loved him.

00:12Secretary, in 1944, my uncle, James Arthur Keating, was serving in France, and

00:19his fellow soldiers were dying around him. He wrote a letter back in combat, back home,

00:27about the cost of human sacrifice, and whether it was worthwhile to defend a piece of mud on the

00:34earth. Only a week after that letter, he answered that question while carrying lead in himself,

00:41as one of the people in his command was exposed and injured. He was wounded himself carrying lead

00:47and crawled out there, brought him back to safety, saved his life, and as he was going for another

00:51person, was machine gunned to death himself, and killed in action.

00:57400,000 other American families gave the same sacrifice, but the peace and prosperity that

01:03came forward in the world has never seen. It's a transatlantic alliance where our allies sacrificed

01:11their young men and women when America was attacked. In 9-11, and economically,

01:16their $1.6 trillion trading partner with us, with 16 million jobs on both sides of the continent.

01:23So my questions today are looking for clarity on where we stand with our allies and partners for

01:28more than 80 years, because they're expressing their doubts, expressing their doubts publicly,

01:34they've expressed it to me privately. So as the face of our country, as the lead foreign policy

01:40representative in the United States, I'm just looking for this clarity. So first, simply answer

01:48this question, if you will. Is Russia the aggressor in this Ukraine war?

01:54Yeah, Russia invaded Ukraine.

01:56So they are the aggressor in this war, correct?

01:59They invaded them, yes.

02:01Well, thank you, sir. Because it's important to get this clarity,

02:04because President Donald Trump said it was Ukraine that started this war, and our allies have the

02:12right to know this. Secondly, the person we're negotiating with, Vladimir Putin, is he a war criminal?

02:24Well, I think you can look at instances that have happened there and certainly

02:27characterize them as war crimes, but our intent is to end the war.

02:30Is he a war criminal?

02:31We can't end the war without talking to Mr. Putin.

02:32No, that's pretty simple. Is he a war criminal?

02:34Well, that's-

02:35This man we're negotiating with, Vladimir Putin, is he a war criminal? That's not tough.

02:40I'm trying to answer your question by telling you that we're trying to end the war here.

02:43Go ahead.

02:44No, it's not a simple answer.

02:45You are equivocating, sir, just to answer the question.

02:47I'm answering your question, and the answer is that war crimes have been committed, no doubt,

02:51and who's responsible for that? There will be time and place for that accountability,

02:55but right now the job is to end the war.

02:56So you won't answer the question.

02:57If we don't end the war, people are going to get killed.

02:59Reclaiming my time, sir, let me go on.

03:01Because I don't understand this, because you're sitting in front of us now as Secretary of State.

03:09It wasn't long ago that you were sitting as a senator with Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson

03:16at the time, in the exact same circumstances, only reversed,

03:21and you questioned him about Putin directing attacks against schools, markets, hospitals, playgrounds,

03:29and on top of this, in this instance, he's abducted 20,000 children, a clear war crime.

03:35So you were very clear then, Vladimir Putin was a war criminal, now you're unmaking him a war criminal,

03:46and you won't answer the question about the exact same circumstances.

03:49You're putting words in my mouth.

03:50I'm reclaiming my time, sir.

03:52You're putting words in my mouth.

03:52And you know what you said to Secretary Tillerson at the end of his answer, when he equivocated,

03:57just as you are right now?

03:59I have not equivocated.

04:00You just don't let me answer.

04:01Sounds like it to me.

04:02Then I'll give you a second chance.

04:04Is Vladimir Putin a war criminal?

04:07I already told you war crimes have been committed.

04:09No, you didn't tell me if he's a war criminal.

04:11Mr. Chairman, am I allowed to answer questions?

04:13I'm reclaiming my time, sir.

04:14And listen, I'm using your own words so you don't have to answer.

04:17Do you know what you said to then nominee Secretary of State Tillerson?

04:23You said you were very discouraged in his inability to accept that Putin was indeed a war criminal.

04:29Your words, we don't need any more.

04:31You're inconsistent.

04:32The third question I have, sir, is this.

04:33I answered your question.

04:34You just don't let me answer.

04:35You did not answer the question about Putin's war criminal conduct in Ukraine.

04:39You asked me the question, then you reclaimed your time.

04:41So how can I answer the question?

04:42You answered it.

04:42Listen, let me go forward with this.

04:45Three questions.

04:46Are you going to reclaim time on those, too?

04:48I'm giving you a chance to answer.

04:50Give me a chance to ask the question.

04:52Here it is.

04:53So there's a concern among these allies that we've had, our closest allies,

04:58about the one-sidedness of the negotiations with Russia and Ukraine.

05:02The gentleman's time has expired.

05:05Secretary Rubio, if you'd like to respond by all means.

05:07Can I reclaim my time for a few seconds?

05:09Yeah.

05:10Number one, crimes have been committed in the war on Ukraine, and there will be accountability

05:15for that.

05:15But our goal right now is to end that war.

05:17Because let me tell you, every single day that that war goes on, more people are killed,

05:21more people are maimed, and frankly, more war crimes are being committed every day that the war lasts.

05:26Number one.

05:27Number two, I don't know how European allies could say that.

05:29I talk to European allies literally every single day.

05:32I see or talk to the foreign minister of the UK and France and Germany more than I see or talk

05:37to my own kids in some days.

05:38Mr. Chairman, I'm reclaiming my time now.

05:41You have no time.

05:42You're not recognized, Mr. Keating.

05:43Because you've given him time, and I ask unanimous consent.

05:45You're not recognized, Mr. Keating.

05:45Mr. Chairman, you're not recognized.

05:46I'm asking for unanimous consent to put in the record.

05:49Mr. Keating, you're not recognized.

05:50The secretary is speaking.

05:50I am asking unanimous consent to put in the record.

05:53Mr. Keating, you're not recognized.

05:54The op-ed.

05:55Oh, so you're not going to recognize, Mr. Chairman.

05:57Not recognized in this moment.

05:58Anyone that asks unanimous consent to put in for the record a document, you're not allowing that?

06:03You are not recognized right now.

06:04Your time expired.

06:05You might have a minute and a few.

06:07Mr. Secretary, please continue.

06:09The last point is, our goal is to end this war.

06:11We have to be able to talk to both sides in order to do it.

06:14Chairman, my time is answered.

06:17His time, answering my question, ended too.

06:19It's the next person's time.

06:21That's the rules in this committee.

06:22Mr. Secretary, please continue.

06:23When you won't even let a person enter into the record, something from our ambassador

06:28to recently from Ukraine, Ambassador Brink, who resigned because of the conduct of this

06:34administration after 30 years of service, sir.

06:37You should keep a better eye of the clock in front of you.

06:39Your time expired.

06:40Continue.

06:41Our goal is to end this war so more people don't die.

06:44And by the way, we want all those kids returned back to their homes that were kidnapped from

06:47their parents.

06:48We just want people to stop dying.

06:50Every day this war goes on, people die, things are destroyed, and lives are ruined.

06:54And we want it to stop.

06:56Thank you, Secretary.

06:57Did you have something you want to submit for unanimous consent?

06:59Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

07:00Now would be your opportunity.

07:01Thank you, sir.

07:03I want to submit for the record an op-ed by Ambassador Brink from Ukraine,

07:08the regional ambassador that was close until we were seeing 30 years of service

07:12of Democrat presidents and Republican ones.

07:15It's an op-ed that says-

07:17So ordered.

07:17Representative vice is recognized.

07:19And she details how-

07:21So ordered.

07:22Peace at any cost is appeasement, not peace.

07:23Take yes for an answer.

07:24So ordered.

07:24Representative vice is recognized.

07:25Mr. Chairman, I'd like to-

07:26Mr. Chairman, I'd like to-

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