On 12 June 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a formal message congratulating the Russian people on Russia Day, which coincided with Kyiv’s announcement that Russian troop losses in Ukraine have surpassed one million.
Rubio’s greetings
The message, published on the official website of the US Department of State, reads:
“On behalf of the American people, I want to congratulate the Russian people on Russia Day.”
Rubio further stated that “the United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future.”
He also emphasized a desire for “constructive engagement with the Russian Federation to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine. It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries.”
The Russia Day holiday, marked annually on 12 June, commemorates Russia’s 1990 declaration of sovereignty.
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Russian losses
On the same day, the Ukrainian General Staff announced that Russian military personnel losses in Ukraine have exceeded one million:
Russia loses one million soldiers: Moscow’s casualties reach seven figures, Ukraine says
Trump’s diplomatic shift and warming ties with Moscow
Reuters also reported that Moscow’s new ambassador to the US, Aleksandr Darchiev, formally presented his credentials to President Donald Trump on the same day. Darchiev pledged to work toward the full restoration of US-Russian diplomatic ties.
The development signals improving relations between the two countries under the Trump administration, despite Russia has only been escalating its war of aggression in Ukraine.
While US President Donald Trump has been pushing for Kyiv-Moscow peace talks for months, his efforts have predictably gone nowhere, as Russia’s unchanged maximalist demands — amounting to Ukraine’s capitulation — leave no real path to peace.
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Strong Russian public support for war
The latest data from the Levada Center from May show that around 75% of Russians continue to support their government’s war against Ukraine. The support has not changed since last November.