Rubio warns of Ukraine war ‘escalation’ risk

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) of a “real” risk of the Ukraine war escalating, as Kyiv showcases its ability to strike deep inside Russian territory.

The remarks came after Ukrainian drones struck energy infrastructure in Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, an attack Kyiv called retaliation for a mass wave of Russian strikes on Tuesday (June 3) that killed at least 23 people.

“Ukraine has become increasingly effective at conducting long-range strikes deep into Russia,” Mr. Rubio told a Senate appropriations panel.

It’s “one of the things that reminds us of why it’s important to try to bring this war to an end, if we can, because the risk of escalation is real, more real than it was two years ago,” he added.

Speaking earlier to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rubio lamented the lack of progress on ending the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

“To this point, neither side has been willing to make concessions, particularly on the Russian side, necessary in order to bring peace about,” he said.

“But we stand ready, and we’ve engaged and invested a tremendous amount of high-level time on that conflict over the last year,” he added.