"June 12 is our National Day – the Day of Russia."
OK so I get the whole diplomacy thing and attempt to play nice in the international sandbox, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio marking "Russia Day" by congratulating the Russian people "as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future" not only raises a few legitimate questions; it has also raised a few eyebrows on social media, with one X (formerly, Twitter) user calling Rubio's observance "an insult."
Let's start with a few words about "Russia Day," AKA: "Day of Russia."
June 12 is our National Day – the Day of Russia.
It marks the establishment of the present-day Russian Federation, manifests the new nation building principles of independence, freedom and rule of law, incarnates the belief in the bright future of our country and its people.
Today we honor our Fatherland – a country with millennia-long history, unique cultural heritage, high moral values, which through centuries not only harmoniously united different regions and peoples within its vast territory, but also acted as a guarantor of international peace and stability.
I could have included more, but you get the picture.
Russian propagandists, under virtual dictator Vladimir Putin, would have the world believe that the authoritarian regime wants to buy the rest of the world a Coke, and teach it to sing in perfect harmony, as the old Coca Cola commercial went, but the reality of Russia's actions trumps (no pun intended) the country's claims about itself and other "harmonious" nonsense.
Nevertheless, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday not only observed "Russia Day" — he also suggested, and I wrote earlier, that the Russian people are on the path to a bright future, which raises two rhetorical questions: What path, and what bright future?
The State Department website quoted Rubio's observance on Thursday morning:
On behalf of the American people, I want to congratulate the Russian people on Russia Day.
The United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future. We also take this opportunity to reaffirm the United States’ 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.
Not to nitpick, but despite Putin's sometimes-claims to the contrary, we have seen zero proof, or even an indication, that Putin wants peace with Ukraine — a peace that both Ukraine and the United States would accept, that is.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Rubio's message while the head of Russia's international affairs parliamentary committee, Leonid Slutsky, described it as a "polite gesture."
Again, not to nitpick, but raise your hand if you think "polite gestures" influence Putin — in the least.
Moreover, Trump has talked tough against Putin's continuing war against Ukraine, multiple times, yet, as far as I can tell, the Russian strongman cares zero about what the rest of the world thinks about his hellbent war — and his demands before negotiating an end to the conflict.
As I referenced earlier, one X user called Rubio's observation "an insult" to the people of Ukraine:
A greeting from Marco Rubio on “russia day” — a country waging a genocidal war against Ukraine — is an insult to the millions of Ukrainians who suffer daily from russian aggression. And it’s coming from the U.S. Secretary of State.
Again, while I understand diplomacy, I also believe it falls on deaf ears in the Kremlin. Former KGB officer Putin is a tough cookie, is paranoid about NATO encroaching on Russia's eastern border, and is likely unmoved by Rubio's congratulation message.
What say you?
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