- Category
- War in Ukraine
Rubio Says Ukraine Built “the Strongest and Most Powerful” Army in Europe
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ukraine now possesses the strongest military force in Europe, pointing to the country’s battlefield experience and the heavy losses suffered by Russian forces during the war.
Speaking to Fox News on May 14 while traveling to China, Rubio argued that Ukraine’s Armed Forces have evolved into Europe’s most capable combat force despite Russia’s larger population and military resources.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
“If you look, the Russians are losing five times more soldiers per month than the Ukrainians, and Ukraine is a smaller country and has a smaller army,” Rubio said.
“However, it is worth clearly noting that the Ukrainian armed forces are currently the strongest and most powerful in all of Europe—obviously, to a significant extent due to the aid they have received, but also because of the combat experience they have gained,” he added.
Rubio also described the scale of the war’s human and economic toll as enormous for both countries, while noting that Russia continues to suffer major battlefield losses.
“The Russians are losing 15–20 thousand soldiers per month—killed. Not wounded, but precisely killed,” Rubio stated.
At the same time, he acknowledged that momentum around negotiations has slowed in recent months as both sides believe they have reasons for optimism.
“Unfortunately, over the past few months we have lost some momentum for various reasons: the Ukrainians are increasingly confident in their positions on the battlefield; they survived the winter; the Russians also feel some optimism due to rising oil prices,” Rubio explained.
Still, the US Secretary of State said Washington hopes both Moscow and Kyiv will eventually return to negotiations.
“But, we hope, whether due to Vladimir Putin’s statement or for other reasons, soon we will reach the point where both sides return to negotiations again,” Rubio added.
Ukraine is now offering its drone experience to other countries. Recently, Ukrainian drone operators participating in Sweden’s Aurora 26 military exercises demonstrated how FPV drones can rapidly disrupt NATO ground units, forcing several training pauses as Swedish troops adjusted tactics during simulated combat scenarios.
Ukrainian FPV pilots repeatedly penetrated Swedish positions during the drills. One Ukrainian operator with the callsign “Tarik” said the exercises had to be halted several times so Swedish forces could reassess their actions.
Discuss this article:
-457ad7ae19a951ebdca94e9b6bf6309d.png)
