--- title: "Rubio: Without US Support, Ukraine Would Not Exist as a Sovereign State" description: "U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his visit to India, stated that without Washington's support, Ukraine would not have survived as a sovereign state, while commenting on a WSJ report regarding Starlink restrictions." date: 2026-10-21T07:53:08.982Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rubio-without-us-support-ukraine-would-not-exist tags: [marco-rubio, ukraine, starlink, elon-musk, us-foreign-policy, peace-talks] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Rubio: Without US Support, Ukraine Would Not Exist as a Sovereign State ![U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking at a press conference in front of flags.](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/21/rubio-bez-pomoshchi-ssha-ukrainy-by-ne-bilo/rubio-bez-pomoshchi-ssha-ukrainy-by-ne-bilo-1.webp) ## Key Points - Rubio stated that without U.S. assistance, including under the Trump administration, Ukraine would not exist as a sovereign state. - The statement was made in India in response to a WSJ report on Starlink slowing down at Elon Musk's command. - Rubio denied that the U.S. knew about the restriction in advance or directed it, noting that Washington cannot control private companies. - The Secretary of State mentioned complex negotiations to end the war, centered on the fate of the Donbas. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his visit to India, stated that without the support of the United States, Ukraine would not have been able to preserve its existence as a sovereign state. According to the head of American diplomacy, this includes the support provided under the administration of President Donald Trump. The statement was made on Wednesday in response to journalists' questions and was connected to a recent The Wall Street Journal report regarding the operation of the Starlink satellite system in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing RBC-Ukraine. ### "There Would Be No Ukraine Now" "If it weren't for the help of the United States, including under the Trump administration, there would be no Ukraine right now. Ukraine would not exist as a sovereign state," Bloomberg quotes Rubio as saying. The Secretary of State was commenting on the The Wall Street Journal article released on the eve of his address. According to the report, SpaceX founder Elon Musk ordered a slowdown of the Starlink satellite system, which, according to Ukrainian authorities, helps defend against Russian aerial attacks. ### The WSJ Report and the Role of Starlink The Wall Street Journal cites anonymous American and other officials. According to them, Musk discussed the decision to slow down Starlink with U.S. President Donald Trump after the changes became public knowledge. Another source told the publication that Musk, who is a Trump ally, spoke about the impending changes with members of the administration even before they were implemented. This was the specific report Rubio was commenting on during his meeting with the press in India. ### Washington's Position: "We Were Not Managing This" Answering a direct question about the newspaper's report, the Secretary of State declared: "It is not true that we somehow knew about this in advance or managed it." He stated that he was unaware of whether the U.S. President knew about the restriction beforehand. Rubio added that the United States "cannot in any way control what a private company does with its product." He also emphasized that Washington no longer intends to make excuses on this matter, and noted that Ukrainian fighters are resisting Russia "very bravely." ### Negotiations on Ending the War Rubio reported that "very complex negotiations" are currently underway to end the war, which he noted has been ongoing for five years. By his assessment, they are focused around the fate of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, and "several creative ideas" have already been proposed to understand the positions of both sides. "Both sides will have to give up something, and these conversations are difficult. I think the main desire for Ukraine is to ensure long-term security so that it is never attacked again," the Secretary of State stated. ### Diplomatic Backdrop: Diesel Sanctions and Oslo Rubio's statement comes against the background of other diplomatic maneuvers. As RBC-Ukraine reported, the U.S. expects that lifting sanctions on Russian diesel will push the head of the Kremlin toward concessions. According to available information, Witkoff is set to present Putin with an updated proposal to end the war, and Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner will join the conversation via video link. Earlier, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, following negotiations in Oslo, stated that the parties have found ideas for a peaceful resolution, including those regarding air defense, energy facilities, and partial ceasefires; he said these ideas should be presented to Russia. ## Accounts differ ### Did the U.S. administration know about Starlink restrictions in advance and manage them? - **The Wall Street Journal (anonymous American and other officials):** Elon Musk discussed the decision to slow down Starlink with Trump after the changes became known, as well as with administration officials before they took effect. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/dopomogi-ssha-ukrayini-k-derzhavi-bulo-b-1792568851.html)) - **U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio:** The U.S. did not know about this in advance and did not manage it, the administration gave no authorization, and the U.S. cannot control what a private company does with its product. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/dopomogi-ssha-ukrayini-k-derzhavi-bulo-b-1792568851.html)) *Where they agree:* Starlink restrictions in Ukraine occurred and became public; this is the specific report Rubio was commenting on. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Без помощи США Украины как государства бы не было, - Рубио](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/dopomogi-ssha-ukrayini-k-derzhavi-bulo-b-1792568851.html) - Source: Rubio quote, context of the WSJ report on Starlink, Donbas negotiations, diesel sanctions, Oslo. - [Рубио: Без помощи США Украина перестала бы существовать как государство](https://vesti.az/v-mire/rubio-bez-pomoshhi-ssa-ukraina-perestala-by-sushhestvovat-kak-gosudarstvo-622054) - Confirms Rubio's statement in India citing Bloomberg and his denial of authorizing restrictions. - [Рубио сделал важное заявление о существовании Украины, как государства](https://www.mk.ru/politics/2026/10/21/rubio-sdelal-vazhnoe-zayavlenie-o-sushhestvovanii-ukrainy-kak-gosudarstva.html) - Confirms the core claim about Ukraine's existence without U.S. aid. - [Рубио заявил, что Украина «не существовала бы» без помощи США](https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6ad84da326b4baaf3a4abe2d) - Confirms Rubio's statement during his visit to India citing Bloomberg. ## FAQ ### Where and when did Rubio make this statement? During his visit to India on Wednesday, while answering reporters' questions; this was reported by Bloomberg citing RBC-Ukraine. ### What did Rubio say about Starlink and Elon Musk? He stated that the U.S. did not know about the restriction in advance and did not manage it, that he does not know if the President was aware, and that Washington cannot control the actions of a private company. ### What are the war-ending negotiations focused on, according to Rubio? He said the negotiations are complex and focused on the fate of the Donbas; both sides will have to concede something, and Ukraine's priority is long-term security.