Rubio Defends Secrecy on Putin Concessions in ABC Interview

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to detail any concessions won from Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent round of talks, telling ABC News on Aug. 17 that public disclosure would hinder sensitive diplomacy. Pressed by host Martha Raddatz to name specific Russian commitments, Rubio replied, “I wouldn’t name them on your program,” adding that negotiations “work best when they are conducted privately.” Rubio also rejected calls to publicly criticize Moscow, saying that openly “wagging our finger at Putin” would make it harder for President Donald Trump’s administration to advance its peace agenda. The remarks underscore the administration’s strategy of keeping the substance of its engagement with the Kremlin behind closed doors while it seeks to lower tensions between the two nuclear powers.