Dispatches of alarm and hope, on politics and society, democracy and justice. Because silence is not an option. We may read and write alone, but we drive change together. Snapshot: Marco Rubio's Appalling Betrayal The American Secretary of State goes to Saudi Arabia to sell out Ukraine Steven Beschloss Feb 19 Marco Rubio to the left, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov to the right, Saudis in the middle. (Photo from Riyadh’s Diriyah Palace by Evelyn Hockstein/AFP via Getty Images) Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022, as many as 100,000 Ukrainians have sacrificed their lives to defeat the murderous invaders, protect their democracy and sustain their country’s independence. Everyone who believes in democracy and territorial sovereignty—particularly in America and Europe—is indebted to the courageous Ukrainians. That’s why the photo above and the reality that it documents is so appalling. We already knew that Donald Trump was ready to sell out the Ukrainians to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and the Russians. We heard his Defense lackey Pete Hegseth insist last week in Munich that Ukraine returning to its original borders is “unrealistic” and its NATO membership off the table. Trump’s colonial-style proposal for the Ukrainians to hand over 50 percent of their rare earth metals in exchange for continued American support—presented in writing by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and rejected in Kyiv last week—was just the beginning of his poisonous, transactional plan to forsake Ukraine. But more appalling was the sight yesterday from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There was the craven Marco Rubio—confirmed as Secretary of State by 99 U.S. senators—sitting across the table from Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud at the head of the table. No Ukrainians were invited. Nor were any Europeans. This has been described by many as a negotiating table. But the more accurate description: This was Rubio's collaboration on behalf of Trump with Lavrov on behalf of Putin. This disgusting act of betrayal to democracy—to our nation and to our democratic allies—secures Rubio’s infamous place in history. To hear the abominable Trump tell it, this war is Ukraine’s fault for not surrendering territory. “You should have never started it,” Trump said yesterday from Mar-a-Lago, referring to Ukrainian leaders and lying about who began the war. “You could have made a deal.” This was his apparent justification for not including Ukraine at this table. As if the interests of this proud, independent nation fighting for its life can be simply ignored while Trump and his handmaiden Rubio bow down to Putin. As if Russia’s genocidal war of conquest should be accepted while Ukraine’s fight for freedom should be condemned. As if Russia’s barbaric war crimes, wide-scale bombardment and grotesque destruction should just be forgotten now. And there was Rubio, slavishly praising his boss, who was at his Florida golf club demanding that Ukrainians hold elections before completing a deal. This was presumably intended to oust President Volodymyr Zelensky, mirroring Putin’s lie that Ukraine’s president is not legitimate. “For three years,” Rubio told reporters in Riyadh, “no one else has been able to bring something together like what we saw today, because Donald Trump is the only leader in the world that can.” Right, Secretary Rubio: Donald Trump is the leader who can sell out Ukraine, turn his back on our European allies, and aggressively reject the democratic values and principles that have built a bulwark against Soviet and Russian aggression over the last 80 years. Several days ago, President Zelensky said on NBC’s Meet the Press about negotiations in which Ukraine is not an equal partner, “I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never. And our people, never…This is a war in Ukraine against us and it is our human losses.” Yes, the man who occupies our White House continues to desecrate the memory of American men and women who have sacrificed their lives to defend democracy against fascists and dictators. But we must hold dear to our knowledge that America’s value as a nation is tied to its commitment to freedom—not just for itself, but for people who seek freedom from tyranny all around the world.